Sharon Bernardi, from Sunderland, lost all seven of her children to a rare genetic disease called Leigh's disease, caused by a defect in mitochondrial DNA. The condition affects the central nervous system and is inherited from the mother.
Her first three children died within hours of birth, with doctors initially unable to explain the cause. After the third death, genetic investigations revealed that Sharon's mother had experienced three stillbirths, and other family members had lost eight children between them.
Sharon's fourth child, Edward, survived into adulthood thanks to early medical intervention, but suffered from seizures and chronic pain. He died at the age of 21. Three subsequent children all died before the age of two.
Sharon now supports research into mitochondrial replacement therapy, which could allow defective genetic material to be replaced by DNA from another woman. 'When you see somebody in pain you don't want to see somebody else in pain,' she said.
