Wednesday 5 October 2022 09:19 PM Simon Thomas announces his wife Derrina has given birth to their daughter ... trends now
Simon Thomas has announced that his wife Derrina has given birth eight weeks early after falling 'rapidly ill' from preeclampsia.
The presenter, 49, took to Instagram on Wednesday to confirm that they had welcomed a baby daughter following a 'fear-filled' labour the day before.
It comes five years after Simon lost his first wife Gemma to blood cancer in 2017, three days after she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia.
New addition: Simon Thomas has announced that his wife Derrina has given birth eight weeks early after suffering from preeclampsia
Difficulties: The presenter, 49, took to Instagram on Wednesday to announce that they had welcomed a baby daughter following a 'fear filled' labour the day before
Simon shared an array of photographs of his newborn baby daughter and his wife Derrina, 31, smiling as she lay in her hospital bed after the difficult labour.
One photograph showed his son Ethan, 12, who he shares with his first wife Gemma, meeting his younger sister for the first time as she lay in an incubator.
In a lengthy caption, Simon revealed that his daughter was born eight weeks early and only weighed three pounds after Derrina fell 'rapidly ill' from preeclampsia.
He said he felt 'proud and blessed' to welcome his baby daughter after the 'fear-filled and stressful' labour on Tuesday.
New arrival: Simon shared an array of photographs of his newborn baby daughter and his wife Derrina smiling as she lay in her hospital bed after the difficult labour
Recovering: Simon revealed they had a 'long road' ahead of them and would be staying in hospital for the next few weeks (pictured: Derrina and Ethan, 12)
But Simon admitted that the family still have a 'long road ahead' and would be in hospital for the next few weeks.
He penned: 'Not everything in life goes quite according to plan. One moment we think we've got eight weeks until our little one arrives; the next, after Derrina fell rapidly ill, we're suddenly welcoming into the world a very tiny, but hugely precious baby girl weighing just over three pounds.
'The neonatal team at Stoke Mandeville hospital were simply incredible and held our hands physically and in spirit the whole way through a very fear filled and stressful day yesterday.
'I cannot express how proud and blessed I feel right now - I have a beautiful, brave wife in Derrina, a precious son and now a tiny, wonderful daughter and sister for our boy Ethan.
Hard times: In a lengthy caption, Simon revealed that his daughter was born eight weeks early and only weighed three pounds after Derrina fell 'rapidly ill' from preeclampsia
Sweet moment: One photograph showed his son Ethan, who he shares with his first wife Gemma, meeting his younger sister for the first time as she lay in an incubator
'We have a long road ahead of being in hospital for the next few weeks; but we have the best team around us.
'Thank you Stoke Mandeville and thank you NHS for being there for us and thank you God for blessing us as a family so much.'
The former Sky Sports pundit did not reveal if he and Derrina have chosen a name for their newborn daughter yet.
Simon only announced he and Derrina were expecting their first child together in an Instagram post last month.
He made the happy announcement that he would be expanding his family as he shared a snap of Derrina's ultrasound scan.
Tragic: Simon lost his first wife Gemma (both pictured with Ethan) to blood cancer in 2017, just three days after being diagnosed with adult acute myeloid leukemia
Simon penned: 'Fourteen months ago today, @chrissayburn & @brittanysipling sang this beautiful song of blessing over us. There's another little blessing on its way…!'
Alongside, he shared a video with clips from their wedding day before their hands slowly revealed the scan.
He also shared a heartwarming collage of photos from his life with Derrina, along with a snap of the couple smiling with his son Ethan, 12, who he shared with Gemma.
Fellow TV presenters Dan Walker, Vernon Kay and Jenni Falconer congratulated him on his news.
Cute: Simon only announced he and Derrina were expecting their first child together in an Instagram post last month. Simon shares his son Ethan with his first wife Gemma
Simon's late wife Gemma Thomas tragically died in November 2017, a year after she was sent home for bed rest by her GP after visiting three times with flu-like symptoms.
Two years after Gemma's death, Simon found love with Derrina and they wed in a ceremony at Norwich Cathedral in July 2021.
The former Blue Peter star shared a snap of himself looking elated on his wedding day as he walked his elegant bride down the aisle before an applauding congregation of well-wishers.
Captioning the heartwarming image, the Norfolk-born father-of-one, who lost his first wife Gemma to leukaemia at the end of 2017, simply wrote: 'Love. Wins.'
The happy couple's big day was attended by a host of Simon's TV presenter pals, including several former Blue Peter and CBBC presenters.
Love: Alongside his baby news, he shared a video with clips from their wedding day before their hands slowly revealed the scan
