9th February 2004
RUGBY HERO TAKES BABY HOME
England World Cup winner, Will Greenwood and his wife, Caroline, are celebrating the healthy arrival of baby Archie who arrived on January 31st weighing 7lbs 8oz and whom they took home at the weekend.
Archie's arrival is especially poignant after the couple lost their first baby, Freddie, in February 2002. Freddie was born 15 weeks prematurely and died within an hour of his birth.
The pregnancy was a difficult one and Greenwood flew home from Australia in the middle of the World Cup Tour to be with his wife who had been rushed into hospital. She was at a similar stage in her pregnancy as she had been when she went into labour with Freddie and the time was worrying for the couple.
Happily, her pregnancy progressed well and the couple were delighted to be taking their new son home.
In October, Greenwood dedicated his winners medal to Freddie who, he said, "is always there in my thoughts."
After the death of their first son, Caroline voiced the feelings that repeat what so many mothers in that situation have faced. She said "I felt worthless and empty and useless because my job as a mother was to nurture and carry my baby and I was unable to do that. No matter how much people said it wasn't my fault I couldn't help blaming myself".
Last year Greenwood and his wife spoke emotionally about the death of Freddie when they organised a ball for Tommy's, the charity that funds research into miscarriage, stillbirth and premature birth.
"Will and I don't want Freddie to have been born for no reason; to have died for no reason," said Mrs Greenwood, who gave birth prematurely after part of the membrane around the baby's amniotic sac burst.
New baby Archie shares his birthday with legendary former Lions and Wales hooker
Bobby Windsor.
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