The parents of a toddler who died after capturing the hearts of the nation with a worldwide marrow donor appeal have had a baby boy.
Tragic Margot Martini was just 14-months-old when she was diagnosed with both Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) and Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) in October 2013.
Her parents Vicki, 39, and Yaser, 43, launched a Swab4Margot campaign that Christmas Eve which was backed by celebrities including Stephen Fry and Gary Barlow.
The appeal went viral across the world and led to 50,000 people requesting swab kits from the charity Delete Blood Cancer UK in just the first six weeks.
Although little Margot underwent a successful bone marrow transplant from an anonymous German 22-year-old man in February last year, the cancer returned.
And the tot died in October last year aged just two at her home in Roehampton, London.
But on Saturday 4 July her parents revealed Vicki gave birth to a healthy baby boy.
They broke the joyful news on the same Facebook page they used to highlight Margot’s battle with leukaemia.
They wrote: “Margot would have loved her little brother, Digby who was born yesterday morning by c-section at 11:32, weighing 8lbs 10oz.
“We are delighted to welcome Digby into our family.”
The post has already received thousands of ‘likes’ and shares online.
The couple, who have two other sons and are originally from Essington, Staffs., celebrated their new arrival, eight months after Margot’s passing.
Entrepreneur Yaser said: “A new baby, a new focus, it is good for the family. We are in a good place.”
At Margot’s funeral in November last year, Vicki said: “Margot was beautiful on the inside and out. She was generous and thoughtful, brave and considerate, clever and funny, cheeky and assertive.
“She was a joy to have in our life. I was so proud of her. She was the little girl I had always wanted.
“I had plans for Margot and things that I was looking forward to us doing together. Like buying shoes and her trying on my wedding dress.
“Teaching her family recipes and how to use my sewing machine. I feel distraught that I can’t have my daughter. And I will never get to do those simple things with her.
“I feel robbed. It’s so unfair. I loved Margot with all my heart and I will miss her terribly. But she continues to make me proud and my love for her will never diminish. I will hold Margot in my heart forever.”
Yaser said: “Margot was such a perfect, wonderful blessing, she enriched all of our lives. And yet, I feel that Margot is still with us.
“And I know that Margot will always stay with us. In our hearts and in our memories. And hopefully she will regularly grace us in our dreams.
“It was Dr Seuss who said: ‘Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.’”
