Former beauty queen Kate Reeves is taking action to publicise a rare condition that almost killed her during childbirth.

She will swim 20 miles for the charity Action on Pre-Eclampsia and hopes to raise more than £5,000.

Pre-Eclampsia can threaten the lives of mother and child.

Luckily, Kate and her son Louis survived.

But it was a close call and the worst of it might have been averted had more been known about this unusual but dangerous condition.

Some mothers would simply be happy to have survived this terrifying ordeal, which led to months of illness.

By raising cash and drawing attention to it, Kate may prevent other mothers and babies from going through the torment she suffered.