A woman with a large family has revealed that she’s been “forced” to stop having kids due to a growth on her uterus.
Mum-of-12 Veronica Merritt often hits the headlines with her large brood [see list at bottom of copy].
Most recently, she made a wish list for her sick baby with cancer, hoping that people would find kindness in their hearts to donate.
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But instead, the 39-year-old was met with hateful comments online, with trolls accusing her of begging.
Now, she’s been “forced” to stop having kids for good after discovering a worrying mass growing on her uterus.
“I discovered it a few months ago and it cannot be safely removed without taking out my whole uterus,” the social media influencer told Need To Know.
“If I keep it, I could potentially still get pregnant, but the fibroid is so large that it would almost certainly cause a miscarriage.
“I absolutely do not want this.
“If I want more kids, I’ll have to use a surrogate or adopt.”
Veronica, from New York, US, planned on undergoing a full hysterectomy on 2 May 2024.
But after getting sick, this had to be rescheduled and was originally planned for the last week of June – until she fell ill again and was admitted to hospital.
Now, it’s hoped that the procedure will take place before the end of July, with the exact date yet to be confirmed.
While the thought of surgery scares her, she’s been left “terrified” about the prospect of never having children again.
She said: “I had all my kids with [unloving] exes.
“Now, I’ll never be able to meet someone who does love me and have children with them.
“I don’t regret my kids, I love them, it’s just sad that life didn’t turn out the way I expected.
“I wanted a big happy family and I’d have that now if I chose a partner who actually adored me.
“On the other hand, I feel somewhat at peace about being done.
“I can meet someone and fool around as much as I want without the risk of pregnancy.”
Veronica, who previously admitted to colour-coding her kids to tell them apart, says that due to her health scare, she’s starting to put herself first.
And despite feeling guilty, it’s in a bid to “finally” start living life.
She added: “Lately, I’ve been a little selfish.
“I’m trying to do more without the kids, which sounds awful, I know, it’s just that I’ve felt like a prisoner for a long time.
“I’m free to have friends and a social life now, which I want for myself.
“I’ve had so many problems with my health, where I almost died from a kidney infection, blood clots and a pulmonary embolism.
“It’s hard balancing my time with the kids and time for myself, it’s pretty overwhelming at times.
“I just want the chance to live a little.”
LIST OF KIDS AND AGES:
| Name | Age |
|---|---|
| Victoria | 24 |
| Andrew | 19 |
| Adam | 17 |
| Mara | 16 |
| Dash | 15 |
| Darla | 13 |
| Marvelous | 11 |
| Martalya | 9 |
| Amelia | 7 |
| Delilah | 6 |
| Donovan | 4 |
| Modi | 2 |
