A family who suffered tragedy which touched the hearts of supporters in Bahrain has started the New Year with pure happiness and a bundle of joy.
Rory and Charmaine Young celebrated the arrival of Zachary John Dela Cruz on January 13 in the Philippines, where they recently relocated to with their 15-year-old son, Charles, after leaving the kingdom they had called home for five years.
“Zachary was born at 6.44pm with a weight of 8.9lbs and 54cm long,” said Mr Young, 37, the popular former professional at Awali Golf Club (AGC) who helped scores of enthusiasts take up the sport and improve their game.
“Charmaine did fantastically throughout the pregnancy, considering we moved countries at almost seven months. After a couple of days in hospital, it was great to get her and Zachary home.
“It’s been one hell of a year. We had disappointments and joy. However, throughout we have remained strong as a family.”
The family made the headlines when friends rallied to help them following the birth of their daughter Georgia Beverly.
She was born on March 11, 2021, at King Hamad University Hospital (KHUH) with a Type B interrupted aortic arch – a rare and serious condition requiring open heart surgery to insert a synthetic connection from the ascending to descending parts of the aorta.
To make matters even more challenging she also had a ventricle septal defect which resulted in a 0.7cm hole – and an atrial septal defect which caused another hole of 0.2cm – which would likely require surgery too.
A series of fundraising events took place and the Young family managed to fly the tiny tot out to India for surgery at the Madras Medical Mission Hospital in April 2021.
Unfortunately, the battling babe passed away on May 6, 2021, after a long, complex operation.
She will forever be in their hearts and on March 11 of last year, Mr Young shared an image of Georgia on social media, marking what would have been her first birthday, and sharing how she would always be with him.
“In 2021, we went through the heartache of losing our daughter but with the support of those around us, especially all our friends in Bahrain, we felt we should try for another child and I’m delighted we have,” added Mr Young, who used to live in Eker. “Zachary is a blessing and we – Charmaine, Charles and I – can’t wait to continue our journey with him.
“We look forward to the time we can return to Bahrain for a holiday and introduce him to some of the fantastic people we know there. We both have had loads of lovely messages from people in Bahrain and it will forever be a country close to our hearts.”
Mr Young was recently appointed golf director at the Mimosa Plus Golf Course in Mabalacat.
mai@gdnmedia.bh
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