When you look at the smiling 17-year-old girl in these photographs, you probably just see a very thin teenager.
But there was a story behind that tiny frame.
My childhood had been filled with abuse, neglect and malnutrition. By 17, I was painfully thin — but I was also determined that my past wasn't going to decide the rest of my life.
At 19, I was training to become a nurse. I had no idea where that journey would eventually take me.
By my mid-30s, I was building a career and moving forward with my life. I was still extremely slim, and some of the effects of childhood stayed with me long after childhood itself had ended.
But life had much more in store for me.
I became a mother. I faced challenges with my son Alessio that I could never have imagined. I eventually walked away from a secure, well-paid career and built YNNY — a skincare business that began from simply trying to help my son when he needed me most.
And now here I am at 63. 
I sometimes look back at that 17-year-old girl and wonder what she would think if she could see me today.
A mother. A businesswoman. A skincare formulator. An entrepreneur. And, most importantly, someone who has created a life she genuinely loves.
Ageing doesn't frighten me.
In fact, I feel more comfortable in my own skin today than I ever did when I was young.
And perhaps that's why I enjoyed talking to SixtyPlusSurfers about my life, my skincare philosophy, ageing, and some of the experiences that shaped the woman I am today.
They've just published my interview, and if you'd like to know a little more about the woman behind YNNY, you can read my story here:
The past will always be part of my story.
But it never got to write my ending. 
