A woman from Stockport has told of how she went to hospital with crippling back pain and came out with baby, despite having absolutely no idea she was pregnant.
Rhea Martin was relaxing at home with her boyfriend, Luke Melling, when her painful period – which she had been told just days before was definitely the case after visiting her local hospital – developed into agonising back pain.
The 24-year-old saleswoman from Heaton Norris was taken to hospital and dropped off at A&E.
She kissed her boyfriend goodbye and told him she’d be out soon, but Rhea was left stunned when medics told her she was in actually in labour as she was completely unaware of her pregnancy.
After hearing the news, Rhea fell unconscious in a state of shock and woke up in a different room with a midwife telling her to “pull it together for her baby and push”, and found herself with no time to process the news and unable to call Luke or her parents to let them know she was pregnant.
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She gave birth to her son – Myles Melling, weighing 6lb 7oz – at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport on 20th October 2020.
Known as a ‘cryptic pregnancy’, Rhea’s baby was tucked away towards her back, meaning that she showed no physical bump throughout the nine months.
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Rhea Martin
Speaking on the whirlwind and unexpected experience, Rhea said: “I called Luke and told him to come to the hospital where I met him outside. I told him there and then and the first thing he asked was if he was a boy, because he’s always wanted a son.
“We can laugh about everything now, but at the time it was actually quite traumatising.
“You go into hospital thinking you have serious back pain and a bad stomach ache caused by your period and come out with a baby. We had no time to process anything or prepare so the last six weeks have been challenging and we’ve been so lucky to have amazing parents who have helped us out massively.
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“In the first week after Myles arrived we kept discussing plans to do as a couple, then we’d remember we had a baby and the things we used to do wouldn’t be so ideal for a baby to join.
“It’s been a pretty surreal time but we wouldn’t change it for the world.”
Luke added: “I was extremely shocked that I didn’t notice my own girlfriend was pregnant, especially being a personal trainer, I felt rather silly, but Myles is the biggest blessing from what has been a strange year for us all.
“We had a few hours to turn from a new couple to a family.
“I love Rhea and can’t thank her enough for making me a father.”
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Vintage fashion sale to pop up in Greater Manchester with all proceeds going to charity
Emily Sergeant
A sustainable vintage fashion shop and kilo sale is popping up in a Greater Manchester town in a couple of days time.
And all the proceeds will go to a very-worthy charity.
Merely weeks after the UK’s largest vintage market descended on the iconic Victoria Baths in Manchester city centre, another sustainable fashion event will be popping up in one of the region’s popular shopping centres for the month.
British Heart Foundation will be hosting a brand-new pop-up shop and vintage kilo sale, where you can buy clothing and other goods at a fixed price per kilogram, in Stretford town centre.
Opening its doors this Saturday (5 April), the charity will be taking over the vacant unit that’s next door to JD Sports to provide the Stretford community with a charity shop filled with all sorts of vintage goods and thrifty finds.
Visitors will be able to sift through shelves stacked with major brands at bargain prices, making it the perfect way to sustainably stock up on wardrobe staples and revamp ready for spring.
A vintage fashion sale is popping up in a Greater Manchester town centre with all proceeds going to charity / Credit: Supplied
All proceeds from the pop-up shop will go directly to the British Heart Foundation, helping to fund vital research into cures and treatments for heart and circulatory diseases, so whether you’re a fashion lover, an avid bargain hunter, or you simply just want to support a good cause, you know where to head on down to.
Running right through until 19 April, this venture is set to be a massively-valuable new addition to Stretford town centre.
The British Heart Foundation pop-up store will be open on Mondays – Saturdays from 10am-4pm, and on Sundays from 10am-3:30pm.
Featured Image – Supplied
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Jack Grealish dedicates first league goal in 16 months to late brother on anniversary of his death
Danny Jones
Manchester City star Jack Grealish held back the tears following his first Premier League goal in more than 16 months, but not in relief after breaking the duck, because it came on a very emotional day for him and his family.
The Man City and England midfielder opened the scoring in the Blues’ 2-0 win against Leicester City on Wednesday night, bringing an end to his goal drought after a total of 473 days.
But what made it even more special is that the game happened to coincide with the anniversary of his late brother Keelan’s death.
Speaking in his post-match interview after picking up the man of the match award, Grealish was in a noticeably quieter mood than his usual charismatic self before revealing that the day marked the 25th anniversary of his younger sibling’s death.
Jack Grealish dedicates his goal to his late brother on the 25th anniversary of his death ❤️ pic.twitter.com/u3toaqZSuR
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 2, 2025
The 29-year-old went on to reveal that the date coincided with Keelan’s passing and acknowledged that it’s “hard on the family but [I’m] happy to score”.
His mum and dad, Karen and Kevin, were up in the stands; it doesn’t need explaining why scoring in that particular moment was so special for all of them.
Clearly stirred by addressing what was a bittersweet occasion, he signed off by adding, “To score and to win was brilliant.”
Keelan Daniel Grealish was just nine months old when he tragically passed away from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) back in 2000 – ‘Super Jack’ was just four at the time.
Paying tribute on social media after the game, the comments below his post were filled with love and support.
Besides the goal itself, the former Aston Villa star was keen to reiterate that he was never brought to the club to score bags of goals and “has a lot more to offer” than just hitting the back of the net.
Touching on his Grealish’s game and the tribute to Keelan during his post-match duties, manager Pep Guardiola went on to add: “Jack is an incredible human being; in terms of gestures and for the other people, he’s incredibly generous.
“I didn’t know that [it was the anniversary of his brother’s death]. I can’t imagine how tough it could be for mum, dad, sister, and all the family. It’s good on this day to remember him, I’m pretty sure they remember every single day.”
A lovely moment from a much-loved character around the Eithad Stadium as well as up and down the country. Rest in peace, Keelan.
You can watch the highlights from the game down below:
Three more points on the board for City and a big moment for the Brummy-born midfielder.
Emily Sergeant -
8th December 2020 
