LITTLE GIFT FROM GOD FOR OMAGH BOMB SURVIVORS
Little gift from God' for Omagh bomb survivors'
Olga Bradshaw
OMAGH couple, Donna-Marie and Garry McGillion, have been counting their blessings again this week - with the arrival of their first child, a baby girl they have named Cara Francis.
The couple's little treasure made her debut in the world on Wednesday morning last, weighing in at 81bs 4oz, at 9.50am at Altnagelvin Hospital, Londonderry.
Donna-Marie and Garry fought hard against the odds to marry many months after they had originally planned to do so.
Both suffered horrific injuries in the August 15 tragedy which befell the town in 1998, and Donna-Marie, in particular, amazed the world with her recovery after six weeks in a coma in a Belfast hospital.
At one stage she had been given the last rites - as it looked as though she might not recover from the injuries she received -including burns to 65 per cent of her body.
Eight-day old Cara Francis was described by her mother as "a little gift from God" and "a little treasure to have around".
Donna-Marie described the birth as a very emotional moment for both her and Garry, and said her first impressions of her daughter were that she was very like her father.
"It was a very joyous moment and maybe one of the happiest days I have encountered in my life. It was a totally precious day and something that I will remember forever," she said.
"Garry said it was another step forward in our lives and that this was our future. This was always our goal - to have a child at some stage. We have always worked towards the future and this is exactly what we wanted. She is a new ray of light, new hope and a new beginning," Mrs. McGillion said.
Born nine days before her scheduled arrival, Donna-Marie and Garry are now busy getting the nursery sorted out 'slowly but surely'. As Donna-Marie said: "Rome was not built in a day"
'Delighted'
Both sets of grandparents are 'delighted' with their new granddaughter, and are already 'doting on her' as are all her aunts and uncles on both sides of the family, according to Donna-Marie.
"She is a wee treasure, a wee princess," the proud mother added.
"Everybody is thrilled for us. We always knew at some stage it was what we wanted and the way it happened just makes it that bit more special," she said of the couple's uphill battle of recent years.
So that their daughter can have a deeper understanding of what happened and who her parents are and what they had been through, the couple have begun a scrapbook for their firstborn.
"We will have everything in it from day one. Cara will grow up with our scars, and when she is old enough to understand we will be able to sit down and explain it to her and why I look different and why her daddy looks different. We will do that as soon as we think she is old enough," Donna-Marie said.
"We discussed it together and Garry said she will always be aware that she will grow up with parents who are different and people will take a second look.
"This way she will not need the second look and we hope that she will grow up without being prejudiced against people's looks. It is human instinct for people to take a second look, but we want her to grow up knowing that looks are not important and have the ability to look deep within people instead," she said.
Little Cara's father, meanwhile, said that he was 'coping very well' with fatherhood, and the family was receiving great support, although it had not really sunk in but in another 16 years it might.
"It is all very new and we just have to enjoy every moment," he said.
'Treasure'
He described his daughter as a 'real dote' and 'treasure', and said he and his wife had been receiving lots of support from people near and far - as they had been for the past three years.
Among the many goodwill wishes was a card this week from a person in England, and the couple, he said, had been snowed under with letters and cards since the arrival of Cara in their lives.
"People have been so good. There are a lot of good people out there," he said.
Garry and Donna-Marie said their daughter had "big, beautiful blue eyes" and they hoped people would look at them and see that life does get better.
"This is our light at the end of the tunnel and we hope goes on from here," Garry said
"I hope she will be an inspiration everybody that life goes on and out of darkness come light," he said.
Olga Bradshaw
OMAGH couple, Donna-Marie and Garry McGillion, have been counting their blessings again this week - with the arrival of their first child, a baby girl they have named Cara Francis.
The couple's little treasure made her debut in the world on Wednesday morning last, weighing in at 81bs 4oz, at 9.50am at Altnagelvin Hospital, Londonderry.
Donna-Marie and Garry fought hard against the odds to marry many months after they had originally planned to do so.
Both suffered horrific injuries in the August 15 tragedy which befell the town in 1998, and Donna-Marie, in particular, amazed the world with her recovery after six weeks in a coma in a Belfast hospital.
At one stage she had been given the last rites - as it looked as though she might not recover from the injuries she received -including burns to 65 per cent of her body.
Eight-day old Cara Francis was described by her mother as "a little gift from God" and "a little treasure to have around".
Donna-Marie described the birth as a very emotional moment for both her and Garry, and said her first impressions of her daughter were that she was very like her father.
"It was a very joyous moment and maybe one of the happiest days I have encountered in my life. It was a totally precious day and something that I will remember forever," she said.
"Garry said it was another step forward in our lives and that this was our future. This was always our goal - to have a child at some stage. We have always worked towards the future and this is exactly what we wanted. She is a new ray of light, new hope and a new beginning," Mrs. McGillion said.
Born nine days before her scheduled arrival, Donna-Marie and Garry are now busy getting the nursery sorted out 'slowly but surely'. As Donna-Marie said: "Rome was not built in a day"
'Delighted'
Both sets of grandparents are 'delighted' with their new granddaughter, and are already 'doting on her' as are all her aunts and uncles on both sides of the family, according to Donna-Marie.
"She is a wee treasure, a wee princess," the proud mother added.
"Everybody is thrilled for us. We always knew at some stage it was what we wanted and the way it happened just makes it that bit more special," she said of the couple's uphill battle of recent years.
So that their daughter can have a deeper understanding of what happened and who her parents are and what they had been through, the couple have begun a scrapbook for their firstborn.
"We will have everything in it from day one. Cara will grow up with our scars, and when she is old enough to understand we will be able to sit down and explain it to her and why I look different and why her daddy looks different. We will do that as soon as we think she is old enough," Donna-Marie said.
"We discussed it together and Garry said she will always be aware that she will grow up with parents who are different and people will take a second look.
"This way she will not need the second look and we hope that she will grow up without being prejudiced against people's looks. It is human instinct for people to take a second look, but we want her to grow up knowing that looks are not important and have the ability to look deep within people instead," she said.
Little Cara's father, meanwhile, said that he was 'coping very well' with fatherhood, and the family was receiving great support, although it had not really sunk in but in another 16 years it might.
"It is all very new and we just have to enjoy every moment," he said.
'Treasure'
He described his daughter as a 'real dote' and 'treasure', and said he and his wife had been receiving lots of support from people near and far - as they had been for the past three years.
Among the many goodwill wishes was a card this week from a person in England, and the couple, he said, had been snowed under with letters and cards since the arrival of Cara in their lives.
"People have been so good. There are a lot of good people out there," he said.
Garry and Donna-Marie said their daughter had "big, beautiful blue eyes" and they hoped people would look at them and see that life does get better.
"This is our light at the end of the tunnel and we hope goes on from here," Garry said
"I hope she will be an inspiration everybody that life goes on and out of darkness come light," he said.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/0931
Published Date: 06-Sep-01
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