The word on the street

21/11/07

‘Miracle’ Essex baby gets chance to shine in cyberspace

Joseph Long from Mill Lane in Great Dunmow might only be seven months old, but he has already demonstrated that he has what it takes to get into the limelight and stay there after being selected amongst dozens of babies across the UK to be the ‘new face’ of independent UK online parenting resource The Baby Website.

While in the uterus, Joseph gave his first-time parents Jayne Rowley and Garry Long quite a scare after being diagnosed as high risk for Down’s syndrome.
And at 28 weeks mom Jayne had to have a scan to see whether Joseph was growing properly.

Yet despite the odds, Joseph was so keen to make a good first impression that he arrived three weeks early by caesarean section.

It is this determination and wholesome fun-loving nature that also inspired dad Garry to enter Joseph for The Face of The Baby Website Competition.

Commenting on their miraculous baby and parenting experience thus far Jayne said:

“I had a bulging disc in my spine and was told at a young age that there was a strong possibility that I would not be able to conceive. Although Garry and I did eventually want to have kids, we knew this would need some careful planning.

“So you can only imagine our surprise and delight when I discovered I was pregnant. With metal cages in my back – my spine had to be partially rebuilt – the pregnancy was quite risky even before all the developmental worries were brought to the fore.

“The thing is, you look at Joseph now and you cannot possibly imagine that there was a time when things were not all plane sailing. He is such a fun-loving, bubbly child and our lives have been totally transformed by our little bundle of joy.”

It was Joseph’s bubbly personality which also appealed to Kathryn and Nigel Crawford, founders of www.thebabywebsite.com.

“He just instantly stood out amongst the dozens of entries. When we heard that he arrived with such drama and determination to boot, we knew we had found our winner.

“We also hope that this positive birthing story will inspire other parents to consider all their options before making any decisions about their child’s future. You just never know where the next rising star is going to come from!”

Further information contact, M & M Communications on 079 5869 0659 or buzz@mandmcomms.com