The Berena fandom has in no uncertain terms,
saved my life. Before I joined the fandom, I was
suffering in silence, struggling to find my place
in this world… the fandom is a community of
women who feel safe with each other, and we’re
almost like a family. Without Berena, I know I
wouldn’t be here today. I would have given up
the fight a long time ago.
My partner died sud-
denly and unexpectedly
and my life fell apart.
Feeling a mutual love for
The relationship in the
the Berena storyline, among
Berena storyline re-
young women of a similar age,
minded me of our story
has made me feel part of a
and it helped me pick
community unlike any other
up the pieces of my
programme I have watched
life remember our won-
before. In less than a year, I
derful life together I
have come from a place of deep
am 74 and my partner
unhappiness with who I am, to
would have been 80 this
beginning to accept that it is
August.
alright – that I am alright.
I now know who I am and have finally admitted
it to myself and can at last start liking
myself.
I had been struggling to identify my
sexuality for so long mainly because
I believed that I should have known
Life would not
by my 30s that I was gay but to see
be the same
a woman in her 50s discover another
without them.
side to her
sexuality helped
me realise it
didn’t matter
It makes me
when in life
feel brave
you discover
because it is
yourself.
there, told on
the BBC.
I moved to London 8 weeks ago. On my own. I would
never have even considered that without Jemma,
Catherine and the friends I’ve made through them. My
life is unrecognisable compared to before Berena. I
feel like a completely different person and I owe it
all to them.