Katie Pender always wanted two children, but never in her worst nightmares did she think they would be stillborn. Now she’s speaking out to help others and keep the memories of her kids alive
Katie Pender with teddy bears Fionn and Mia, named after her children who were stillborn. Photo: Ray Ryan
Katie Pender had a simple wish from a young age: to have two children by the time she reached 30. “Any guy I used to meet, I’d tell them, and it was my little chat-up line,” she laughs. “A lot of them took off running, but Thomas didn’t.”
Now 11 years together, Pender and Thomas Ward are very much a part of each other’s families. “We go to all the parties and family events, and everyone is standing in the pictures with all of their kids, and it’s still just me and Thomas,” she says.