BITTERSWEET NEW BABY FOR
TRESSA Middleton could be forgiven for feeling a rollercoaster of emotions the moment she cradled her newborn baby.
A rush of maternal love as her daughter was placed on her chest for the first time was followed by a wave of longing and sadness.
Because Tressa, 24, is a mum like no other in Britain. In 2006, she became the UK’s youngest mother at 12 after she was raped by her brother Jason, then 16.
Schoolgirl Tressa was forced to give up her first daughter for adoption at two – and has never stopped thinking about her. So as she poses for a family snap with second baby Arihanna and partner Darren Young, 31, her smile masks a deep yearning.
And she admits becoming a mum again has been a bittersweet experience.
“I felt pure joy the moment Arihanna was born. There were times I thought I’d never have another baby,” says Tressa. “But I also feel guilty, because Arihanna is with me and my older daughter is not.
“She’s still the first thing I think about every morning and the last thing at night. I love her so much. I can’t be properly happy without her. It breaks my heart Arihanna will grow up without knowing her big sister.”
Tressa and Darren welcomed 8lb 1oz Arihanna on October 6 after a gruelling 24-hour labour.
Today she speaks about her new arrival for the first time in a home adorned with pictures of the daughter who catapulted her into the headlines more than 11 years ago.
HOPE
She also has treasured keepsakes including the tot’s handprints, baby clothes and a lock of her hair – mementos of a little life born from a harrowing tragedy.
Tressa says: “Arihanna will always know she has a big sister. I talk to her about it now, even though she can’t understand. She’ll never be a secret.
“They are polar opposites – Arihanna is smiley and contented, while my other daughter was vocal and feisty. But I just know they’d get on.
“I tell Arihanna if her sister was here they’d play games together. I really hope that one day they can meet. It would mean the world to me.
“In the meantime all I want is for Arihanna to have a normal childhood, where she knows she is loved and safe.”
Safety was something Tressa never enjoyed as a child. Her mum Tracey Tallons struggled with drink and drug addiction and, as a toddler, Tressa cried her way through parties which stretched into the early hours.
When she reached seven, depraved brother Jason began to sexually abuse her. Four years later, she became pregnant after he raped her.
She gave birth aged 12 and she and her baby were taken into care. Tressa says: “I loved my mum and she tried her best with us but she struggled. At times, I just wanted a routine – to watch TV and go to bed on time like other families.
“I couldn’t talk to her about everything that was happening to me because she had so many problems of her own. God
Arihanna will know she has a big sister. She’ll not be kept secret TRESSA ON HOPES OF DAUGHTERS MEETING