Simon Thomas’ daughter born 8 weeks early after wife ‘rapidly falls ill’ – five years after sad death of his wife Gemma
TV star Simon Thomas has revealed his wife Derrina has given birth eight weeks early after suffering from preeclampsia.
The former Sky Sports presenter, 49, told fans the couple welcomed a baby girl into the world following a "fear filled" labour on Tuesday.
Simon shared on Instagram: "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 #stokemandeville 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."
Simon tagged preeclampsia in his post which he ended on saying: "We have a long road ahead of being in hospital for the next few weeks; but we have the best team around us.
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"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."
He was innundated with messages from friends and fans, as fellow TV presenter Matt Baker said: "Sending lots of love to you all X"
Another friend said: "Sending you all strength, love and happiness. Congratulations to you all x"
Pre-eclampsia is a condition that affects pregnant women, usually after the 20-week mark or straight after their baby is delivered.
What are symptoms of pre-eclampsia?
Symptoms of pre-eclampsia include:
- swelling of the feet, ankles, face and hands
- severe headache
- vision problems
- pain just below the ribs
- However many people don’t notice the signs of pre-eclampsia, which means it’s usually picked up during routine antenatal appointments.
What are the risks of high blood pressure during pregnancy?
Most cases of pre-eclampsia cause no problems and improve soon after the baby is delivered. However, there's a risk that the mother will develop fits called ‘eclampsia’.
These fits can be life threatening for the mother and baby, but thankfully they're rare.
High blood pressure is defined as blood pressure higher than 140/90 mm Hg.
Unhealthy lifestyle choices can increase the risk of developing it during pregnancy.
For example, being overweight and not exercising.
Women experiencing their first pregnancy are also more likely to develop high blood pressure.
The good news is that there’s a lower chance of it happening during subsequent pregnancies with the same partner.
Early signs include having high blood pressure (hypertension) and protein in their urine (proteinuria).
The exact cause of the condition is currently unknown, but it’s thought to occur when there’s a problem with the placenta.
The TV star revealed last month that he was to become a dad again, a year after he married Derrina, 31.
Simon tragically lost first wife Gemma, with whom he shared son Ethan, in November 2017 just three days after being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia.
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She died aged 40 years old when their son was eight.
Simon left his Sky Sports job to care for Ethan and has now become the president of Blood Cancer UK.
The ex anchor first revealed he was dating Derrina on BBC Radio 5 Live in November 2018.
NEW HOPE
He said: "Right from the early stages, she had this empathy towards me. She’s Christian as well and that’s important to me as a man of faith.
"She’s been an incredible support for me. She was the only person who would always pick up the phone.
"What I saw in her, I saw in Gemma. When she said my phone is always on, she meant it."
A year prior Simon was "crushed with indescribable pain" as he announced Gemma had tragically passed away following her short illness.
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"Just three days after falling ill with Acute Myloid Leukaemia, my dear wife Gemma passed away yesterday evening surrounded by her family and friends," he said in a statement after she died.
"If you are a prayer - pray for my boy Ethan. 8yrs, precious and in bits. Thank you."
