PA
Former model Katie Piper, who suffered horrific injuries when her ex-boyfriend arranged for an accomplice to throw sulphuric acid in her face, has spoken of her desire to be a mum.
Katie was just 24 and enjoying a successful career as a fashion model and promotions girl before the sickening attack in 2008, which left her with horrific burns and blinded her in one eye. She has subsequently undergone 140 operations, including pioneering stem-sell surgery to restore the sight in her left eye.
Speaking to The Mirror in an exclusive interview to publicise her new book, Things Get Better, Katie says she is now looking for love and would love to be a mummy.
"Of course, I'd like to fall in love and get married one day," she says, "My brother has just got engaged and I'm thrilled for him – but I'm not obsessing about meeting someone."
Katie says that since the attack she has sometimes attracted men who just want to talk about their own issues - while she is looking for love!
"When I started dating again afterwards I seemed to be attracting men who just wanted to talk about themselves and their problems," she said. "Now, I don't mind helping people but I was hoping they saw me as a potential girlfriend, not just a shoulder to cry on!"
She has had one serious boyfriend since the acid attack, and says it was with a 'lovely, normal guy' with whom she felt 'safe and loved', but she ultimately called things off.
Revealing that she would like to have children, Katie says she would adopt if things didn't happen naturally: "I would love to have kids but I'm 29 in October and it might not happen. If I'm not blessed with children of my own then I'd like to adopt one day – possibly a child from Pakistan," she says.
Katie set up a charity in 2009 to help other burns victims. The Katie Piper Foundation aims to raise awareness for victims of burns and disfigurement injuries, and campaigns for specialist treatment.
Her attacker Stefan Sylvestre and her ex-boyfriend Daniel Lynch are serving life sentences for their hideous crime.
Such an inspirational woman.