Positive test: Surrogate mother Louise Pollard with Zaina Bin Laden
The woman who agreed to become a surrogate mother for Osama Bin Laden's son and his British wife has discovered she is pregnant - just as the couple have split up.
Louise Pollard, a 24-year-old PA from Bristol, took a pregnancy test only a fortnight after embryos were implanted during IVF treatment in the United Arab Emirates, and the result was positive.
At the third attempt, she is expecting Osama Bin Laden's British grandchild.
As the Mail revealed last month, Omar Bin Laden, 29, and his wife, Zaina, 54 (a six-times-married grandmother of five who used to go by the name of Jane Felix-Browne), hired Louise to carry a child for them.
The embryos were to be created with Omar's sperm and Zaina's eggs. Despite her age, Zaina insists the eggs - fertilised two years ago with her husband's sperm and then frozen - really are her own.
That, of course, was incredible enough. But the story has taken yet another twist.
Yesterday, Zaina Bin Laden revealed that she had dumped her husband after he was diagnosed with schizophrenia following weeks of erratic behaviour during which he began to hear his father's voice in his head.
So what does Louise make of all this?
'When I did the pregnancy test, I was over the moon for them,' she said at a secret location in Britain where she and Zaina Bin Laden are supporting each other.
'This was before it emerged that Omar and Zaina had broken up. I'm still happy they're having the baby they've dreamt about but I feel very nervous.'
As well she might, for there are those who believe her actions to be, at best, misguided and, at worst, contemptible.
'I've had many offensive messages from strangers on Facebook and hate mail. Some people have said I should be stabbed in the stomach, others have said they hope the baby dies.'
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The apparent breakdown of the Bin Ladens' marriage is a further blow.
'Although Zaina has assured me the split is just a temporary break until Omar is better, I do feel let down. My intention in going through IVF treatment was to give them a baby as a married couple, to complete their family.'
Even so, Louise - who has a son, Jaden, from a previous relationship - intends to press ahead with the pregnancy.
'I can't criticise single mothers or say Zaina won't do a good job raising the baby alone because I was a single mum myself, and I know Zaina will be a great mum.
'But, having put myself through three gruelling rounds of IVF for, as I believed, a couple who had a stable relationship, I am concerned. I'm also in shock.
Father and son: Omar Bin Laden, left, has been hearing the voice of his father, Osama Bin Laden, in his head
'When I was with them, they appeared extremely happy. It all changed after I had the IVF treatment. The day before I was due to fly home, Omar flipped and I started thinking "What have I done?"
'I had no idea that Omar was about to have a breakdown and that they would break up. And now I'm pregnant it's too late. I certainly wouldn't terminate a pregnancy after going through IVF three times to achieve it.
'I know people will think firstly, "Why is this woman having a surrogate baby for Omar Bin Laden?" and secondly, "Why is she doing this for a man who is mentally ill?"
'I want to make it crystal clear that I did not know there was anything wrong with Omar. I knew he had depression, but then so do lots of men who, with medication, are able to have happy family lives.'
Despite Omar's current mental state, he is, says Louise, delighted with the news of the baby and looking forward to being a father again (he has a seven-year-old son from a previous marriage).
'He phoned me on Wednesday, after I found out, and said he's really pleased. He had been released from the psychiatric hospital and was at home.
Marriage breakdown: Omar Bin Laden and his wife Zaina, from Cheshire, split after he began to suffer with mental illness
'I asked him if he'd like a boy or a girl, and he said a boy. He said girls have a hard time in the Muslim culture, but that it's easier for a boy.'
That a 24-year-old from Bristol is now carrying the grandchild of the world's most wanted man is extraordinary. That its father is also so troubled should surely concern her even more.
But Louise remains unrepentant: 'Omar's breakdown is far from ideal, but he's haunted by his past and the legacy of his name, but whatever Osama Bin Laden has done, the baby I am carrying is innocent.'
The procedure was carried out in the United Arab Emirates, where Omar Bin Laden lives (his wife splits her time between homes there and in Cheshire).
'After calling at the fertility clinic for a scan, we had some drinks at a nearby hotel and Omar was the perfect gentleman.
That night we watched a DVD, and Omar and Zaina were cuddling together on the sofa. She was so content that she fell asleep in his arms.
Mr & Mrs Bin Laden: The couple pictured together in happier times in the desert near Giza, Cairo, Egypt
'On Saturday morning, Zaina and I went to the clinic for treatment and that evening, we all watched the England football game. But while the match was on, Omar got some bad news from his family and was clearly upset.
I don't know what it was about, but when we all got back to their apartment they had a row. I wasn't too concerned. All couples row, don't they?'
But by the next morning, it was clear that Omar's mood had dramatically shifted.
Louise recalled: 'Omar drove us into town, and he was going round roundabouts without looking and mounting the pavement.
'He was completely reckless and Zaina and I were shouting at him. I was terrified, I thought we'd die. Then he went to a shop and spent around £1,000 without even trying anything on.
'When we got back, he started saying he wanted to divorce me. Zaina and I thought he was joking at first - we said to him he'd signed a surrogacy contract with me, not a marriage one.
'But he was shouting "I want to divorce Louise, I want to divorce Louise" and Zaina was shouting "You're not married to Louise".
'I felt really alarmed, I wondered what I'd got myself into.'
The next day, Louise flew back to the UK. But, 48 hours later, she heard that Omar had announced on local TV that he and Zaina were to divorce. Horrified, Louise phoned Zaina.
'Zaina told me that, after I'd left, Omar had been sectioned and diagnosed with schizophrenia. She said he'd been hearing the voice of his father in his head, that she couldn't take any more and was leaving him and flying out of the country.
'I was very upset and angry that they were even talking about getting divorced. At that point, I didn't know I was pregnant. But when I found out, I was thinking, "What about the baby?"'
It is a distressing development in a tale that began earlier this year, when Zaina contacted Louise via the website www. surrogatemother.com.
As the Daily Mail reported exclusively last month, when Louise realised the connection with Osama Bin Laden, she immediately turned Zaina down. It was only on reflection that she changed her mind.
Omar Bin Laden, right, and his wife Zaina, formerly known as Jane Felix-Brown
'I basically thought that if I don't help this couple then no one will,' said Louise, who describes surrogacy as her 'calling' and has already had two babies for a London-based childless couple in their 40s.
She met Zaina and decided to go ahead.
'I am only getting my expenses paid. The law in the UK states a maximum payment of £12,000 can be made to surrogates to cover expenses only.'
Did she never notice anything strange about Omar's behaviour?
'I noticed that Zaina really looked after him - she'd make him go to bed early to stop him getting tired. Then I saw him taking some medication.
'Zaina told me it was anti-depressants as he had bipolar disorder, but that his condition was under control. I wasn't worried - depression is such a common illness and given his history, it's hardly surprising Omar's suffered.
'I'd never imagined he end up sectioned because of it.'
Despite his erratic behaviour, she remains fond of Omar. 'During the trips I've been out to the UAE, I've grown close to Omar and Zaina. I genuinely care for him and, the baby aside, it's upsetting for me to hear he is in such a state.'
For now, with a Bin Laden baby forming inside her, Louise is hoping that the couple will reconcile.
'Zaina is saying if they don't get back together, she will raise the baby alone and it will attend a normal school in the UK, but I know she sees this split as temporary,' she said.
'She really thinks they will get back together.
'As for me, I'm pregnant now, and all being well I will go on to have the baby. So I have no choice but to make the best of the situation.'
Louise had hoped to keep her relationship with the Bin Ladens secret, but after a family member of hers informed a downmarket newspaper she found herself at the centre of a media storm.
'It was awful, which is why I felt compelled to put my side of the story across,' she says.
'I'm terrified about the reaction I'm going to get. I want people to realise I did this with the best of intentions and that I don't believe this unborn child should have to suffer.'
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