A GREAT Sankey couple have been celebrating a happy ending after welcoming to the world beautiful tot Rose Alice Margaret Leighton.

Jack and Eloise, of Charles Avenue, said the birth of their bundle of joy on February 3 felt like a dream come true after suffering the heartbreak of losing their first child Alfie in 2012.

The courageous pair have since kept the youngster’s memory alive through a charity football match last summer with Eloise’s dad Peter Barnes and fellow Manchester City legends taking on a Warrington Hospital eleven.

More than £8,000 has been raised so far which will buy a monitor to detect foetal distress and ensure Alfie’s legacy lives on.

Eloise, aged 30, added: “Rose is always going to know she’s got a big brother who’s her guardian angel looking down on her.

“It’s been overwhelming becoming parents and having a baby to look after and I’ve absolutely loved it.

“We are so excited it’s been a happy ending after what we have been through.”

The couple’s first child Alfie was stillborn in September 2012 after the cord wrapped around his neck when Eloise was nine days overdue.

It meant a nervous wait for Jack and Eloise, who have been married for two years, during their second pregnancy but they said they could not speak highly enough of the staff at Warrington Hospital who have helped them through it.

Eloise, who runs her own business Passion 4 Italian Fashion, added: “The nerves set in and I started worrying towards the end but the doctors and nurses kept me calm and kept reassuring me.

“After the c-section I couldn’t believe it and kept having to pinch myself.

“She’s like the feminine version of her big brother and they look so alike.

“We were overwhelmed with joy and both crying after the birth and want to thank everyone so much for their support.”