I didn't even know I was ill until I was hospitalised with sepsis – nearly dying taught me to stop hating my body
VERITY Pitts didn't even realise she was ill, until she was hospitalised with sepsis.
The 20-year-old, from Rustington, West Sussex, had an undiagnosed kidney infection – which left her minutes away from death.
But the hotel receptionist says the ordeal taught her to finally love her body – after years of torment caused by childhood bullying.
Verity was picked on from the age of seven – with the cruel kids blaming her for her aunt's death and fat-shaming comments leaving her forced to eat lunch in the toilets at school.
The size 12 lass is now so confident in her own skin that she even took part in a naked catwalk – hosted by Insta-famous millionaire artist Sophie Tea, the woman who sparked the infamous 'glitter t*ts' craze.
Speaking exclusively to Fabulous, Verity said: "The bullies would say 'you're fat', 'you're ugly', 'you look like a cow'.
"I would shut myself in the toilet and have lunch in there, because nobody could pick on me, it was just four walls.
"People from school would make fake accounts to troll me, my auntie passed away when I was young, from cancer, and they'd tell me 'it's because she couldn't bring herself to be around you'.
"It got so bad I had to move schools. I came home when I was 13 and told my mum 'I don't want to be there anymore, if I go I don't know what else can happen'.
"It was awful, I felt like I wasn't wanted in anyone's life. I think I was depressed. I couldn't look in the mirror, I got rid of every one I owned.
"I stopped eating, I would choose not to eat breakfast and would hardly touch my dinner. I was scared of what the impact would be if I ate."
Verity was left traumatised by the experience and says she couldn't even go shopping as a teen, because "I was scared to be over a size six".
Then, in November, she developed a kidney infection – which turned into deadly sepsis when it went undiagnosed for a week-and-a-half.
She said: "It was November 29 and I was with my best friend Chelsea, who's a lifesaver. If she hadn't been with me then, I wouldn't be here now.
"I'd been in hospital earlier that day and they didn't spot anything.
"All of a sudden, I couldn't breathe properly, I couldn't hold anything, I had uncontrollable shakes and shivers.
All of a sudden, I couldn't breathe properly, I couldn't hold anything, I had uncontrollable shakes and shivers. I had a really high temperate but I was so cold, I was going blue
"I had a really high temperate but I was so cold, I was going blue.
"My mum called 999 and the paramedics told me I was the highest end of the scale you could be before you go into shock.
"That's how close it was. Ten minutes later and I wouldn't be talking to you now.
"They couldn't move me until I was stable, once I was they took me into hospital. Then I was in resus (the area of hospital treating those with life-threatening illnesses) for five hours.
"The doctors told me I'd had the kidney infection for about a week and a half.
"I have quite a few health issues anyway so I just wiped it off as something else."
Verity was kept in hospital for five nights and had something of an epiphany from her sick bed.
She said: "In hospital, I said to my mum 'if I die now, I'll die really unhappy with who I am, and that's now how anyone should feel'.
"You shouldn't feel so bad that, if you die, you don't feel like you've achieved anything. I think one of the biggest achievements is to accept who you are."
In hospital, I said to my mum 'if I die now, I'll die really unhappy with who I am, and that's now how anyone should feel'
Keen to kickstart her body positivity journey, she signed up for a naked catwalk run by Insta-famous artist Sophie Tea, whose company made £1 million last year.
When Sophie, 27, from Manchester, asked women to send their naked pictures for her to paint last year, she was overwhelmed when she received 1,000 snaps overnight.
Inspired by the success of the movement, she held a naked catwalk on December 10, just days after Verity got out of hospital.
Verity said: "I knew about Sophie’s catwalk and she had emailed me before I went into hospital, but because I had been ill I didn’t get a chance to reply.
"My mum is old-fashioned so it wasn’t something that she was really keen on, but after my illness she said ‘if it’s what you want to do, go for it, if it’s going to change the way you think, do it, I’ll support you with whatever you do now’.
"The show was such a whirlwind of emotions. You've never even met the people you're getting naked with, but you're all there for the same reasons.
"Some were really confident and some, like me, were quivering balls of nerves. But everyone was so lovely.
"I don't know how to describe it, you just feel you've done something so incredible that you should be proud of.
"It was so liberating and empowering to watch everyone else, with their rolls and stretch marks and scars, which all tell their own story.
"It was so emotional, I think we all shed a little tear after. I came home and said 'Mum I know it's only been one day but I don't care what size I am'. It's what's on the inside which matters more.
"Sophie is amazing, if it wasn't for her, there's so much in my life which wouldn't have happened."
Sophie told Fabulous: "Nudes is all about celebrating female body diversity, self-love and body confidence. I was blown away with the number of messages I received from women who wanted to take part – so many of their stories were so inspiring, such as Verity’s.
"Being able to use my art to empower and help women feel comfortable in their own skin was an honour.
"I felt in awe of the women who did the Nude Catwalk. Seeing them bare all and hold their heads high as they walked in front of hundreds of people was one of the bravest things I’ve seen. It’s inspired me to treat my body with more respect and promote more self-love."
Fabulous previously spoke to Sophie about her success and how she made £15,000 in just two days.
You can follow Sophie on Instagram here and Verity's thebodyconfidenceissue here.
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