WHEN we launched our Mum of the Year 2021 competition, we had a feeling we were going to receive some extra-special nominations – and we weren’t wrong.
During the last year, with its lockdowns, homeschooling and unprecedented challenges, mums have stepped up to the plate, and then some.
We received a whopping 4,200 entries, which our panel of celeb judges – Giovanna Fletcher, Kate Garraway, Kate Ferdinand and Ranvir Singh – carefully considered.
“Judging this competition is always hard, but this year even more so,” says Giovanna. “It has been such a tough year for parents and every one of the entries was an inspiration. I am in awe of all the amazing mums, and I am honoured to be a judge and read all their incredible stories.”
New mum – and this issue’s cover star – Kate Ferdinand admits she found judging an emotional experience. “I cried reading their stories – just seeing how much people are going through with hardly any support was heartbreaking,” she says.
“It put everything into perspective, and it’s fantastic that we can recognise mums like this and give them a special treat from Fabulous.”
Judge Kate Garraway was even nominated, as she’s been raising her two children alone while husband Derek Draper continues to battle Covid in hospital.
Fellow GMB presenter and Strictly star Ranvir says: “I kept changing my mind, they were all special. But in the end, the kindness and selfless nature of the winner and runners-up leapt out.”
After much agonising, they chose our winner: Sherril Wright – a mum, foster carer, student and volunteer. She’s won an overnight stay for two at Champneys with four spa treatments as part of the spa’s Gold Package.
Runners-up Katherine Umutoni and Bryony Baynes deserve huge praise, too. Thanks to their passion for helping others, both have nabbed a Champneys goodie bag, plus £300 of high-street shopping vouchers. All hail these wonder women!
KATHERINE Umutoni, 36, is an NHS frontline healthcare worker and lives in London with kids Kiera, 18, Micaera, 16, and Colonel, five.
“Coming home after a 12-hour shift on the ICU ward, wearing PPE and having watched people die of Covid, I’ve felt so grateful to have my kids. The normality of family life has helped me cope during the hardest year of my decade-long career in the NHS.
I’ll never forget the day early last year when I arrived at work to be told there were Covid patients in the hospital and handed PPE to put on.
It was one thing seeing patients in other countries on the news, but to face it was frightening. But I couldn’t let my patients down, so I set my fears aside.
Before leaving work, I’d shower and change because I was scared of infecting my children.
A single mum, I had sleepless nights worrying about what would happen if I got sick, especially when I heard about Black, Asian and minority ethnic staff dying.
There were days when I’d find a quiet corner on my break and just cry, and I still have nightmares about dead bodies.
My community in north London was affected, too. I was born in Rwanda and brought up not just to think about myself.
On days off I collected groceries for neighbours who were elderly or shielding, and cooked African dishes, and delivered them, standing outside for a chat.
I was nominated for Mum of the Year by my friend Tracey, who I supported when her father was dying, sitting in ICU with her after my shift ended. To me, that’s just what friends do.
A first-time mum at 17, I never wanted my age to get in the way of raising good children. This past year, I wanted to show them how important it is to do your bit.
My daughters have helped run our home, cared for their little brother and got on with school work.
And when I’ve come home, it’s been important to me to care for them. Being a mum has reminded me how lucky I am to have my family, when others have suffered so much loss.”
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