A former nurse who hit rock bottom after her husband took his own life has been inspiring others.
Karyn Hamilton worked at St John’s Hospital in Livingston when her partner of 11 years died.
The shock of losing Peter left Karyn suffering from debilitating anxiety.
But after receiving support from Neil’s Hugs Foundation, the mum, 46, is busier than ever running her own holistic therapy business – and a burlesque group that boasts more than 300 members aged between 16 and 70 who have found their “inner diva”.
Karyn, from Broxburn in West Lothian, said: “Before Peter died I was really confident in myself and loved my job as a nurse.
“That all changed when he took his own life at just 52 and my life hit rock bottom. I came across a charity called Neil’s Hugs Foundation in Edinburgh. It helps to raise awareness and support families who have been affected by suicide.
“I’d always been interested in burlesque and after joining a group, I decided to train as an instructor and start up on my own.”
Since she set up Saltire Burlesque Academy in 2019, Karyn – or Bustyy Bleu as she’s known on stage – has helped empower hundreds of women.
Karyn said: “Burlesque allows you to be yourself, to let your inner diva out and to love your own body. It has totally changed my life.”
On Saturday, Saltire members took to the streets to raise money for Neil’s Hugs Foundation. To donate visit https://bit.ly/3nl9INH
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