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But as the years went by and one after the other her girlfriends began menstruating, Rebekah Knight, from Northern Ireland, always wondered when her turn would come.
When she turned 17, and found that she was still waiting, Rebekah knew something was up and decided to consult a doctor. She shared her concerns with her mother, Debbie (52), and together they visited a GP for advice.
What she heard changed her life forever.
According to Metro, Rebekah was diagnosed with Müllerian agenesis (also called Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome or MRKH). It’s a congenital condition in which certain organs, especially reproductive organs, fail to develop sufficiently. In her case, she was born without a uterus and her vagina is grossly underdeveloped.
“As you can imagine, I was heartbroken and shocked. I couldn’t believe this was happening to me,” says the 25-year-old, who works as an events steward.
“I was especially devastated when I was told I wouldn’t be able to carry children. There are no words to describe it.”
After her consultation with the doctor, Rebekah was referred to Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast where a series of tests revealed the condition, Daily Mail writes.
She says she’ll consider adoption or surrogacy when she decides to have children because without a uterus she’ll never be able to carry her own baby. But she does have ovaries, so will be able to produce eggs – which is why surrogacy is an option.
“This won’t stop me from becoming a mother,” Rebekah, who’s from Ballymoney, a small town in Northern Ireland, says.
The Sun reports that her incomplete female reproduction system isn’t Rebekah’s only health defect. Due to her condition, she also has only one kidney. Doctors also told her she’d need reconstruction surgery on her vagina because it was so small.
“They said I needed to improve that part of the body, and to have it working normally,” she remembers. “I was always a bit terrified of hospitals, but I knew it was going to benefit me in the long run.”
In 2013, she underwent vaginal construction surgery, in which surgeons stretched the tissue on the outside of her vagina, then used that tissue to reconstruct her vagina before expanding her small opening into a the size of a normal one.
She spent 12 days in hospital before undergoing physiotherapy to help her walk again.
Although the 25-year-old – who lives with mom, Debbie, dad, Benny (56), and siblings Thomas (23) and Matthew (15) – is currently single, she’s looking forward to finding love one day.
“I don’t worry too much about relationships, as I believe the right person will stick by you for who you are.”
In the meantime, this smiling blond isn’t sitting around waiting on a Prince Charming to save her. Rebekah has written a book on her ordeal, entitled The Girl with No . . ., which is available on Amazon.
“There were times when I questioned everything and whether it was worth it, and it was a lot of hard work.
“My faith plays a big role in helping me, as there were always people from church praying for me. I believe that God got me through this and pulled me to the other side.”
Sources: Metro, Daily Mail, The Sun
