Gifts galore for new mum after appeal
Praise for the people of Cambuslang
A woman who was left with just £8 weeks before giving birth has been gifted everything a newborn baby could need – thanks to Newton Farm residents.
People living on the Cambuslang estate rallied around the young Polish woman who was struggling following the breakdown of a relationship.
A cot, pram, Moses basket, bottles, steriliser and other essentials were donated to Ania after a chance encounter with new dad Chris McColgan.
Chris and his wife Paula, who gave birth to baby girl Isla on January 6, met Ania at Wishaw General Hospital.
Paula, a fellow Polish national, had been in hospital for days when several attempts to induce labour were unsuccessful. She struck up a conversation with Ania when it became apparent no one was visiting her while she was awaiting a C-section.
Ania’s situation became apparent when Chris offered to pick up anything she needed on a trip to Tesco.
Chris explained: “She said to pick up some shower gel but to make sure it was £1 or less because she only had £8.
“From that we realised she didn’t have anything, she didn’t have a bag with her.
“Given everything we had been through, and that she had all of that ahead of her and no one to visit, it made my heart bleed.”
Chris made up a hospital bag containing the essentials a pregnant woman would need and, having seen many appeals on the Newton Farm residents Facebook page before, wrote a post detailing Ania’s plight.
He said: “I always see people on there being generous... but I had no idea what the response would be. I certainly wasn’t expecting it be as much as it was.
“Within an hour or we so we’d managed to collect sleepsuits, wee outfits, bottles, steriliser, nappies, some wee toys, muslin cloths, wipes and hats.
“It was unbelievable. Every night I came back from the hospital – because the inducing wasn’t working – and more people had left stuff at the side of the house.”
Explaining that he will deliver the baby goods to Ania’s temporary accommodation in Coatbridge this week, Chris said recent events had shown him how kind local people are.
“All I did was put a post on Facebook. The real story is the people of Cambuslang, they are the ones who donated the stuff.
“It shows the strength of the community spirit.”
Every night I came back and more people had left stuff