As Theresa Hohenhaus cuddles her tiny grandson Parker, they share a very special bond.
The 46-year-old mother- of-five also gave birth to him, acting as a surrogate for eldest daughter Alice, 25.
‘I’m so lucky to have been able to do this,’ Theresa tells New Idea. ‘Parker is one very loved baby.’
Parker’s arrival is the latest miracle for the Queensland family, who first hit headlines 20 years ago when Alice battled leukaemia.
The eight-year-old was in remission when doctors tested her mum, her dad Craig, now 50, and sister Thalia, 22, to be bone marrow donors in case she relapsed.
With no matches, doctors asked Theresa and Craig if they would consider having another baby. Born to save his sister, James, 20, was a perfect match for Alice.
‘I’d tell people he was my special brother who was going to save me if I got sick again,’ Alice says. And two years later, James did just that when her cancer returned.
By the age of 13 she was finally cancer-free, but doctors advised she’d need IVF to have children.
That’s when supermum Theresa stepped in.
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