May 20, 2024
Case Study
Small Care Home Group
Our Head of Client Recruitment Services, the lovely Kayla Shane, has given us a glimpse into her personal life and shared some fantastic news with us. A baby is on the way, and Kayla and her fiancé Lucy couldn’t be happier!
Kayla’s love story with Lucy began seven years ago
Luce and I are both big gamers and we actually met through Call Of Duty. We used to play online together and help each other out. We still play together now! We always got on so well, wearing the same perfume and even having the same ringtone. Our first official date was at a Reggae event at The Fenton in Leeds, two years after we first met. That was one of the best nights of my life. At the time I was living in Grimsby where I’m from but wanted to move to Leeds. A manager position became available at The Fenton and 3 weeks later I’d moved. We both love Drum and Bass music and The Fenton became our regular hangout.
I proposed on a hot air balloon flying over York Races. We lucked out with good weather. There were loads of others on the balloon with us. I’d thought the balloon would be loud because of all the air, but you could hear a pin drop. Everyone heard us and a couple recorded the proposal for us. Lucy was so surprised that she froze for 5 minutes. In the car after I told her she didn’t have to say yes if she didn’t want to, but she was really happy and said yes.
In the past, Kayla hadn’t always referred to Lucy as her fiancé
Because my mum is gay, I’ve never been shy to speak about my sexuality. Although times are changing now, I don’t look like the typical lesbians seen in the media and I used to find it difficult that everyone would assume I was straight. I’ve always used “partner” instead of “fiancé” or “girlfriend” because I don’t like correcting people or making them feel uncomfortable. Saying partner was easier as it stopped people from asking invasive questions. I still find dealing with people’s assumptions difficult but I’ve come to realise that I shouldn’t have to hide or downplay who I am.
Having children was always on the cards
I always knew I wanted kids, especially with Lucy. She is so amazing with kids and they love her, always following her around. I knew nothing about fertility and needed to do a lot of research. Hats off to anyone going through it.
Their fertility journey was a challenging one
It’s a long process and not for the faint-hearted. Although there are lots of places out there that offer similar programmes, there isn’t enough direction and nobody tells you the best route to take. We decided to speak to people who have gone through it and followed the same process as our friends. Our first attempt was unsuccessful, which was heartbreaking after an 18-month process. IUI only has about a 10% chance of working and you have to be mentally prepared to go again.
The couple are expecting a girl!
Her name will be Hallie Jade Shane, named after Lucy’s brother Ali and my sister Jade who both passed away. I was adamant all the way through that it was a girl, but Lucy was sure it was a boy. We’re prepared for Hallie to have questions when she is older and we have lots of books to read to her to explain the fertility process so she always has an explanation and can understand. When she turns 18 she’ll have access to the donor’s details and we won’t hide them from her.
The gender reveal was a small, intimate affair
I’m not normally a fan of gender reveal parties but Lucy really wanted one. It was a very personal event with just 11 people. I created a gender reveal presentation that we put on the big screen. Both of our mums popped the balloons and Lucy’s nephew did the cannon. We had pizza and colour-changing prosecco. It was such a nice drama-free day with no issues.
Kayla already has a sense of what kind of parent she will be…
As a mum, I’ll be supportive, empowering and creative. We want Hallie to see lots of things and have lots of adventures. We plan on taking her to holidays, especially Disney. I want her to have all the things I didn’t get to experience, so I’ll spoil Hallie a lot. Luce is the class clown, always silly and easygoing, never angry or serious. So I’ll end up being bad cop since someone else will have to take the reins on discipline, though I’ll never be a strict mum. We want open communication where she can talk to us about anything like our nephews and nieces do. Older generations didn’t have much mental health support, so it’s so important to me that Hallie gets that.
With an August due date, preparations for the little one are well underway
The baby’s room needs carpets and a light moving, but we’re nearly there. I want a rainbow mural on the wall. We’ve had a lot of help from our families that we’re so grateful for. I’m not one for having everything brand new or loads of expensive things; I’d rather the money be spent on more useful things. Hallie’s wardrobe is already filled up with clothes, including a great find from the charity shop – a duck-print waterproof onesie!
Our Kata family is incredible and stories like Kayla’s are wonderful to celebrate. We’re not just names – we’re people! If you have exciting news, business or personal, that you would like to share, we’d love to hear it! Drop me an email at renaye@katacare.co.uk ♡