A Moray family twice bereaved in recent years has welcomed the arrival of baby boy – born on the same day as his tragic uncle would have celebrated his birthday and named in his honour.
Aileen McPherson’s son Aidan was found dead on a riverbank aged just 19 four years ago, and this summer the Elgin mum was left grieving the loss of a second child when her 33-year-old daughter Paula died of cancer.
The family looked towards a brighter end to the year though, with son Gary and his partner Chelsea Stewardson due to have their first baby together later this month.
However, the baby boy was born prematurely last Friday – on the same day as Aidan would have marked his 24th birthday.
The tot, who was later named in tribute to his much-missed uncle, was born in fine health and taken home on Saturday.
Mrs McPherson, 64, said: “The whole thing is just totally weird, the baby wasn’t supposed to be born until the 20th but it’s as if he decided to appear on Aidan’s birthday.
“It was just meant to be.
“It was an emotional day for the family, a lot of us were in tears.
“I was sad because it was Aidan’s birthday – but on the opposite end of the scale it was a joy to see the baby appear on that day.”
Dad Gary McPherson, 28, and mum Chelsea Stewardson, 23, did not know the baby’s gender until he was born – and had considered using Aidan as a middle name if they had a boy.
But when the tot arrived on Aidan’s birthday Miss Stewardson, who attended school alongside the tragic teenager, felt it only right his name be carried on.
She said: “It felt like fate, he just had to be named Aidan.”
Mr McPherson added: “It was such a surprise when he arrived the way he did, it all happened so quick.”
Miss Stewardson visited Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin last Thursday night after feeling some discomfort – but had no inkling the birth was impending.
However, after her waters broke in the early hours she was admitted to the maternity ward again at 5.20am – and just 20 minutes later Aidan was born at 6lb 13oz.
Mrs McPherson said her first reaction was disbelief when her son sent her a text message at 5.40am on Friday morning to inform her of Aidan’s birth.
She said: “The text said ‘it’s a boy’, and I just thought ‘away you go’.
“I thought it was him being silly, I couldn’t believe she’d had the baby so quickly.”
Mrs McPherson, who raised six boys and four girls, said the baby’s arrival marked a departure from family tradition in that all of her previous firstborn grandchildren have been girls.
“We’re a big, close family and we have all been round to see Aidan, having him born that day was really special to us”, she added.
“As he grows up everybody will tell him about his uncle Aidan and auntie Paula.”
After 19-year-old Aidan went missing after a Hogmanay party police launched a massive search operation lasting months.
His body was recovered from the banks of the River Lossie at the end of March, 2011.
Aidan was the youngest of 10 children Mrs McPherson had with her late husband, Stewart, a Merchant Navy seafarer who died of a heart attack in 2002, aged 55.
The family experienced further grief in August when Mrs McPherson’s daughter Paula lost her battle with cancer.
The mum-of-two was described as a “total inspiration” by her distraught family.
In May the 33-year-old achieved one of her lasting ambitions when she tied the knot with the father of her children and her partner of 13 years, Peter McIntyre.
Baby joy for bereaved Elgin family
