Emily Jane Carter, 30, from Anfield, fears her agoraphobia will prevent her from walking down the aisle at her New York wedding next July. She is due to marry her former boss, James Charter, 46, in Central Park, but her fear of going outside has cast doubt on the ceremony.
A difficult childhood
Emily, known as Em J, grew up in hostels with her mum and had attended three different primary schools by the age of six. She previously told the ECHO about those "very tough" days, saying: "I was so embarrassed about our life, I'd put on a brave face to everyone but I was really ashamed. As a kid I would wait for all the other kids to leave the playground after school, then I'd run back to the hostel and quickly go inside before anyone would see me."
"I felt so alone. We always had to fight for everything, nothing was ever easy for us as a family."
Em J was also diagnosed with dyspraxia and watched her parents battle "a lot," including her dad who suffered from "horrendous" depression. It was only during secondary school that she had a permanent roof over her head, moving into a one-bedroom, "freezing, and mouldy" flat in Anfield with her dad.
Struggles with health
Em J said they had "nothing." She added: "I became depressed. I got hooked on sugary drinks and was bingeing six or seven of them a day. I became addicted and suffered from depression so badly. I was binge eating, sleeping all the time and started abusing my body to the point I had no energy to even brush my teeth or wash my hair."
Her health battle got "worse and worse" through school and college, hitting rock bottom at university. She developed agoraphobia and dropped out, returning to her dad's with four bin bags, a lamp, and a bag on her back. She said: "I couldn't leave the house, I'd developed agoraphobia, I was so depressed. It was horrendous. I became so ashamed of the way I'd become."
Turning point and meeting James
After a total breakdown, Em J collapsed in the street aged 22 while trying to go to the shop. She said: "I told myself I was never going out of the house again after that day, I thought I was going to die. But, it was my turning point. I cut down on sugar and eventually lost eight stone in 13 months, I transformed my life."
Two years ago she got a job on a cruise ship, where she met James. He asked her for a drink after they'd run bingo together, and they hit it off. She said: "He understood me."
In July last year, James took her on a surprise trip to New York, where he proposed at the John Lennon memorial in Central Park. They are due to return next July to marry in the park, but Em J fears her mental health issues will stop her from making it down the aisle in front of everyone.
Em J said: "Depression never goes away, every day I have to battle with my mind, I have to tell myself to wash my hair and brush my teeth but I get out and I do it. I'm just scared I won't make my own wedding."
