A MIRACLE baby born three months early has been named after the woman who delivered her outside a hotel while she was on holiday.

Gillian Bowd came to the aid of the French family when she was in Malta visiting friends and family.

The eternally-grateful couple, Rose and Roame, are still in Malta with their child – who is doing well but must remain in hospital until her due date.

But they have since spoken to Mrs Bowd and her husband Tony, who reassured the mother throughout.

They got in touch by telephone to reveal they have named their daughter Anna-Marie Gillian – as a mark of eternal gratitude to their emergency midwife.


GRATEFUL The baby’s parents, Rose and Roame Mrs Bowd, 49, of Rowan Avenue, Ulverston, said: “There’s a sense of pride, but it’s still hard to believe it actually happened. That’s our feeling still.”

The Ulverston couple were returning from shopping on the last night of their stay when Mr Bowd’s brother Chris, who lives in Malta, waved them to the hotel door.

The mum-to-be, who was not due until December, was crouched over on a bench and then her waters broke.

Chris called for an ambulance, but it soon became clear the baby would arrive before the paramedics. Mrs Bowd said: “I noticed she was very hot, so asked if someone could get something to fan her down. It was then that Tony ran off and came back with a big plastic sign.

“He said it was all he could find, but it did the job. I told her to try and keep calm and breathe with me. I was trying to time her contractions, and realised this baby was coming very soon.”

The hotel manager brought a cushion and they laid her down, before removing her shorts and keeping her covered with sheets from the hotel.

Mrs Bowd said: “Within minutes, she shouted ‘I can feel the head’. Both her husband and I looked and the baby came out – we nearly banged heads as we both went to catch the baby.

“The husband was very upset and said ‘she’s tiny’. She wasn’t moving.

“I quickly wrapped her in a towel and massaged her little chest and back, then wiped her little face.

“She let out a tiny cry and started to wriggle. It was at this point that Chris shouted to put her on her mum’s chest and carry on rubbing baby’s back. I did this and she started to kick me.”

The new parents thanked and kissed Mrs Bowd and asked her name, before mum and baby were taken to hospital. From being alerted to the situation, to the child being born, it took only 20 minutes.

Mrs Bowd, a mum-of-four, who managed the Spar shop in Croftlands for 10 years, said: “I think the adrenaline kicked in when it was happening and when the ambulance arrived I left them to it and came inside on my own.

“I had to sit down. People were coming up to me and saying ‘you did brilliant’. My husband asked if I was OK and I said ‘I need a drink!’

“I say to people ‘anybody would have done it’, but it’s amazing the amount of people who say ‘I couldn’t have’. But if you’re in that situation, you have to.

“We didn’t sleep for nearly a week until we were told she was alright. It was just going over and over in your head.”

Until the baby is released from hospital, the French couple are staying in Malta thanks to Mr Bowd’s brother Chris, who has got them an apartment now the holiday season is over.

When they spoke for the first time by phone, Mrs Bowd was overcome with emotion when told the baby had been named after her.

She said: “It was on loud speaker and I heard her say it. I couldn’t talk. I just said ‘thank you very much’ to her.

“I just hope we can keep in touch. We’ll send them birthday and Christmas cards, that’s the plan, and hopefully see them again.”