Latest news with #grandchild
CNN
07-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
‘We have to keep growing': Mother of killed Israeli hostage in battle to have a grandchild with his harvested sperm
'Something can be born out of everything – if you want it to,' said Iris Haim, whose hostage son Yotam was killed in Gaza. Those words are helping her find hope. The new beginning that Haim now longs for is a grandchild, created from sperm she had harvested from Yotam's body upon its return home in December 2023. 'Yes, a disaster happened,' Haim, 59, told CNN of her son's killing from the Israeli town of Mevaseret Zion, a few miles west of Jerusalem. 'But it doesn't control me.' Yotam, 28, was kidnapped by Hamas-led militants from kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023. After spending 65 days in captivity, he was mistakenly shot by Israeli troops on December 15, 2023 along with two other hostages, Alon Shamriz and Samer Talalka, as they attempted to flee their captors in northern Gaza. Yotam is the only Israeli hostage whose sperm is known to have been retrieved posthumously, and whose family is lobbying to use it to have a child. Haim says Yotam, a single man at the time of his death, always wanted children. 'Yotam really wanted that – he talked about it a lot,' she said. A total of 205 hostages have so far been returned, 148 of whom were released alive, and 57 returned dead, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office. Most had been dead for weeks, if not months, making the men's sperm no longer viable for use – except for Yotam's. That's where his mother saw an unexpected opportunity to have what would be her first grandchild. Chances of successful sperm retrieval are highest in the first 24 hours after death, with the cut-off time being 72 hours, according to the Israeli government. There are currently 50 Israeli hostages held in Gaza, of whom at least 20 are believed to be alive. Both Hamas and Israel have accepted a new ceasefire proposal and indirect negotiations on a deal have restarted, raising hopes that more could return home soon. Haim remembers with painful clarity the moment Israeli authorities came to her home and told her about her son's death. 'Yotam was killed. By friendly fire. While escaping Hamas captivity. He was mistakenly identified as a terrorist,' Haim recalled the officers saying. 'Four sentences I will never forget,' she told CNN. Half an hour after they broke the news of Yotam's death, one officer approached Haim and whispered, 'you can request sperm retrieval,' Haim said. The process 'immediately got started, immediately,' she said. Yotam's sperm was retrieved within the necessary window of time. Ten samples were extracted, 'enough for five children,' Haim recalled being told by the doctor who performed the procedure. Haim now faces an uphill battle to get approval to use his sperm to produce a grandchild. If she succeeds, her next challenge would be to find a woman to carry the child and raise it. Sperm lives on briefly after death, which is why it's possible for doctors to retrieve it from testicular tissue. Any live sperm cells found are transferred and frozen in liquid nitrogen. None, however, can be used without approval from a family court, where Haim now faces an uphill battle to continue her son's lineage. In Israel, extracting sperm from a dead body is permitted, but there is no law that clearly defines the process of using the sperm for the purpose of producing offspring. 'In Israeli law, we don't have a law for this procedure,' Nily Shatz, Haim's lawyer, said, adding that family courts have only approved posthumous use of sperm by parents of the deceased to produce a child twice in the past; however, the second case was later overturned after an appeal brought by the state. 'All the other cases were rejected.' The first case was that of a woman who after years of court battles was able to have a grandchild after proving that her son, who was killed in Gaza in 2002, wanted children, according to Shatz. The court, however, declared that the ruling should not be perceived as a precedent, saying legislators must decide on the matter in the future. The second case was that of a couple who are still fighting in court to have a grandchild with retrieved sperm of their late son, who died in 2012. Last week, after CNN spoke with Shatz, an Eilat court gave permission in principle for Sharon Eisenkot to use sperm retrieved from her son Maor – a soldier killed in Gaza in 2023 – to have a grandchild through surrogacy. 'Should a specific request be submitted regarding the identity of the woman chosen to carry the embryo fertilized with M.'s sperm, it will require the court's approval,' the ruling Thursday said. In keeping with usual practice in family court, the full names of those involved in the case were not given but the court directed CNN to this ruling. Meirav Ben-Ari, a lawmaker in Israel's parliament, the Knesset, is pushing for a bill that formally allows family members to use retrieved sperm even if the deceased had not specifically stated his wish to have a child posthumously, as long as they can prove the deceased would have wanted a child. Ben-Ari told CNN the bill 'is not moving forward now, because the (governing) coalition objects (to) it, mainly the religious parties.' Netanyahu's coalition is made up of some of the most religiously conservative parties ever to hold power in Israel, including ultra-Orthodox and far-right religious Zionist factions whose agendas are reshaping the country's legal and social fabric. Shatz, Haim's lawyer, said that after the horrors of October 7, it was past time for parliament to pass a law on the issue, especially as families of hundreds of fallen soldiers retrieve the sperm of their dead. But while Haim longs to be a grandmother, the issue of using the sperm of deceased men remains controversial. It raises ethical, religious and legal questions that lawmakers are yet to address. For now, cases are assessed individually by the family courts, Shatz said. And since there are varying opinions in government about the practice, each case is viewed with extreme caution, she said. At the moment, for families to use the sperm of their deceased, they must prove to the courts that the person who died wanted children, even after his death. Yotam's family is working to prove that he wanted children by providing testimony from relatives, friends and his therapist, but such intangible proof is likely to be harder for many others to present. 'There's no logical way (where) usually people say that I want a child, even if I'm going from the world,' Shatz said, noting this isn't something ordinary men think about, especially when young. Posthumous sperm retrieval (PSR) in Israel was previously open only to partners – provided other relatives did not object – while parents of the deceased had to apply for legal permission. Following the October 7 attacks, the Ministry of Health loosened the rules. Sperm retrievals have soared since. There have been at least 224 sperm retrievals from fallen soldiers and security personnel, the ministry told CNN, as well as 17 from deceased civilians. 'In previous years, approximately 15–20 such retrievals were performed annually,' the ministry said. Medical professionals, bereaved families and legal experts have told CNN that the atrocities of October 7 have made questions around how sperm is preserved and used more urgent than ever, as Israeli society grapples with the perceived threat to the Jewish people's existence. Israeli officials have repeatedly compared Hamas' October 7 attacks to Nazi atrocities during World War II, homing in on the narrative that the conflict in Gaza is a war of survival. For Haim, having a grandchild is a way to prove that Israel will keep growing despite the massacre. 'Every mother whose child was killed wants to have something from that child, not just photos. She wants something tangible,' Haim said, her eyes briefly filling with tears. 'As the people of Israel, we need to understand today that, after October 7, we need to keep growing – to show our enemies that our way, this continuity of our lives here in this country, and in general, is through the creation of new life.' Prof. Hagai Levine, a public health physician and head of the health team at the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, told CNN that Israel's recent wars have driven many in the country to 'think about your death, to think about your destiny, about what is most important for you.' 'That forces you to be in this situation. That's what war is doing to us,' he said. Levine advocates for soldiers to decide early whether they'd like to have children, and for them to preserve their sperm while they are still alive. Some have also called for soldiers to leave a 'biological will,' a testament that lays out an individual's wishes when it comes to posthumous use of eggs or sperm, whether they are retrieved after death or frozen while the person is still alive. Bella Savitsky, whose son Jonathan died in combat on October 7, opted to retrieve his sperm and got approval for it, but it came too late. Savitsky, a senior lecturer in the School of Health Sciences at Ashkelon Academic College, said studies show a maximum of 36 hours since time of death is the only time that retrieved sperm can be usable, a shorter timeframe than that cited by the Israeli government. This window is narrower in Israel because the hot weather can affect the sperm's quality in dead bodies, she said. On October 9, 2023, Savitsky received 'the knock on the door' from authorities, telling her that her 21-year-old son had been killed in heavy fighting at an army outpost near Gaza. Jonathan never wanted to be a soldier, she told CNN. He simply wanted to carry out his mandatory military service and return to civilian life. 'He wanted to get married, to have children, a dog, and a home in the countryside.' It took many hours for Savitsky to obtain a court order allowing the harvesting of her son's sperm. 'Altogether, it took 70 hours,' she said. 'So, when the posthumous sperm retrieval was done, it was not intact. There was no live sperm.' Sperm retrieval after death undoubtedly raises complex moral, ethical, judicial and religious questions. While technology has advanced, critics say the law has not kept up. Experts say the controversy stems from the lack of clear consent from the father and the idea of bringing a child into the world who is fatherless from the outset. 'Even if the deceased wanted to be a parent when he was alive, who says he wanted to have a child after his death? It's not the same thing,' Prof. Gil Siegal, head of the Center for Medical Law, Bioethics and Health Policy at Ono Academic College, told CNN. 'You are bringing into the world a child whose parent is known, named and deceased. This has a significant psychological impact and is different from a single-parent family,' Siegal said. Some may also object to having children that effectively serve as a monument to the deceased father. In that case, 'the grandparents are seeking a 'memorial' – a form of commemoration – or trying to recreate something that cannot be recreated,' Siegal said. There are also religious considerations, as 'retrieving sperm is an intrusive act, and in Judaism, there is a critical prohibition against desecrating the dead,' he said. To mitigate these issues, Savitsky believes that young men should be asked whether they would want their sperm to be posthumously retrieved before they enter army service, but said the ministry of defense may be wary of implementing this as it could dent troop morale. For Haim, despite the difficulties, the battle to have a grandchild gives her strength in the face of the tragedy she faces after October 7, as well as hope for the future. In May, the State Attorney's Office gave a green light in principle for Haim to use Yotam's sperm. That was a first step towards what may be a long journey for her to have a grandchild. The family still needs to present evidence to prove that Yotam would have wanted a child, Shatz, Haim's lawyer said. 'In the end, the reality did happen to us on October 7. So now – what will we do with that reality? Cry, wail, say, why did this happen to us?' she asked. 'Yes, a disaster happened. Period. But what else happened? A lot of amazing things also happened. That's where I'm aiming (for).' Previous reporting by CNN's Lianne Kolirin.
CNN
07-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
‘We have to keep growing': Mother of killed Israeli hostage in battle to have a grandchild with his harvested sperm
'Something can be born out of everything – if you want it to,' said Iris Haim, whose hostage son Yotam was killed in Gaza. Those words are helping her find hope. The new beginning that Haim now longs for is a grandchild, created from sperm she had harvested from Yotam's body upon its return home in December 2023. 'Yes, a disaster happened,' Haim, 59, told CNN of her son's killing from the Israeli town of Mevaseret Zion, a few miles west of Jerusalem. 'But it doesn't control me.' Yotam, 28, was kidnapped by Hamas-led militants from kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, 2023. After spending 65 days in captivity, he was mistakenly shot by Israeli troops on December 15, 2023 along with two other hostages, Alon Shamriz and Samer Talalka, as they attempted to flee their captors in northern Gaza. Yotam is the only Israeli hostage whose sperm is known to have been retrieved posthumously, and whose family is lobbying to use it to have a child. Haim says Yotam, a single man at the time of his death, always wanted children. 'Yotam really wanted that – he talked about it a lot,' she said. A total of 205 hostages have so far been returned, 148 of whom were released alive, and 57 returned dead, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office. Most had been dead for weeks, if not months, making the men's sperm no longer viable for use – except for Yotam's. That's where his mother saw an unexpected opportunity to have what would be her first grandchild. Chances of successful sperm retrieval are highest in the first 24 hours after death, with the cut-off time being 72 hours, according to the Israeli government. There are currently 50 Israeli hostages held in Gaza, of whom at least 20 are believed to be alive. Both Hamas and Israel have accepted a new ceasefire proposal and indirect negotiations on a deal have restarted, raising hopes that more could return home soon. Haim remembers with painful clarity the moment Israeli authorities came to her home and told her about her son's death. 'Yotam was killed. By friendly fire. While escaping Hamas captivity. He was mistakenly identified as a terrorist,' Haim recalled the officers saying. 'Four sentences I will never forget,' she told CNN. Half an hour after they broke the news of Yotam's death, one officer approached Haim and whispered, 'you can request sperm retrieval,' Haim said. The process 'immediately got started, immediately,' she said. Yotam's sperm was retrieved within the necessary window of time. Ten samples were extracted, 'enough for five children,' Haim recalled being told by the doctor who performed the procedure. Haim now faces an uphill battle to get approval to use his sperm to produce a grandchild. If she succeeds, her next challenge would be to find a woman to carry the child and raise it. Sperm lives on briefly after death, which is why it's possible for doctors to retrieve it from testicular tissue. Any live sperm cells found are transferred and frozen in liquid nitrogen. None, however, can be used without approval from a family court, where Haim now faces an uphill battle to continue her son's lineage. In Israel, extracting sperm from a dead body is permitted, but there is no law that clearly defines the process of using the sperm for the purpose of producing offspring. 'In Israeli law, we don't have a law for this procedure,' Nily Shatz, Haim's lawyer, said, adding that family courts have only approved posthumous use of sperm by parents of the deceased to produce a child twice in the past; however, the second case was later overturned after an appeal brought by the state. 'All the other cases were rejected.' The first case was that of a woman who after years of court battles was able to have a grandchild after proving that her son, who was killed in Gaza in 2002, wanted children, according to Shatz. The court, however, declared that the ruling should not be perceived as a precedent, saying legislators must decide on the matter in the future. The second case was that of a couple who are still fighting in court to have a grandchild with retrieved sperm of their late son, who died in 2012. Last week, after CNN spoke with Shatz, an Eilat court gave permission in principle for Sharon Eisenkot to use sperm retrieved from her son Maor – a soldier killed in Gaza in 2023 – to have a grandchild through surrogacy. 'Should a specific request be submitted regarding the identity of the woman chosen to carry the embryo fertilized with M.'s sperm, it will require the court's approval,' the ruling Thursday said. In keeping with usual practice in family court, the full names of those involved in the case were not given but the court directed CNN to this ruling. Meirav Ben-Ari, a lawmaker in Israel's parliament, the Knesset, is pushing for a bill that formally allows family members to use retrieved sperm even if the deceased had not specifically stated his wish to have a child posthumously, as long as they can prove the deceased would have wanted a child. Ben-Ari told CNN the bill 'is not moving forward now, because the (governing) coalition objects (to) it, mainly the religious parties.' Netanyahu's coalition is made up of some of the most religiously conservative parties ever to hold power in Israel, including ultra-Orthodox and far-right religious Zionist factions whose agendas are reshaping the country's legal and social fabric. Shatz, Haim's lawyer, said that after the horrors of October 7, it was past time for parliament to pass a law on the issue, especially as families of hundreds of fallen soldiers retrieve the sperm of their dead. But while Haim longs to be a grandmother, the issue of using the sperm of deceased men remains controversial. It raises ethical, religious and legal questions that lawmakers are yet to address. For now, cases are assessed individually by the family courts, Shatz said. And since there are varying opinions in government about the practice, each case is viewed with extreme caution, she said. At the moment, for families to use the sperm of their deceased, they must prove to the courts that the person who died wanted children, even after his death. Yotam's family is working to prove that he wanted children by providing testimony from relatives, friends and his therapist, but such intangible proof is likely to be harder for many others to present. 'There's no logical way (where) usually people say that I want a child, even if I'm going from the world,' Shatz said, noting this isn't something ordinary men think about, especially when young. Posthumous sperm retrieval (PSR) in Israel was previously open only to partners – provided other relatives did not object – while parents of the deceased had to apply for legal permission. Following the October 7 attacks, the Ministry of Health loosened the rules. Sperm retrievals have soared since. There have been at least 224 sperm retrievals from fallen soldiers and security personnel, the ministry told CNN, as well as 17 from deceased civilians. 'In previous years, approximately 15–20 such retrievals were performed annually,' the ministry said. Medical professionals, bereaved families and legal experts have told CNN that the atrocities of October 7 have made questions around how sperm is preserved and used more urgent than ever, as Israeli society grapples with the perceived threat to the Jewish people's existence. Israeli officials have repeatedly compared Hamas' October 7 attacks to Nazi atrocities during World War II, homing in on the narrative that the conflict in Gaza is a war of survival. For Haim, having a grandchild is a way to prove that Israel will keep growing despite the massacre. 'Every mother whose child was killed wants to have something from that child, not just photos. She wants something tangible,' Haim said, her eyes briefly filling with tears. 'As the people of Israel, we need to understand today that, after October 7, we need to keep growing – to show our enemies that our way, this continuity of our lives here in this country, and in general, is through the creation of new life.' Prof. Hagai Levine, a public health physician and head of the health team at the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, told CNN that Israel's recent wars have driven many in the country to 'think about your death, to think about your destiny, about what is most important for you.' 'That forces you to be in this situation. That's what war is doing to us,' he said. Levine advocates for soldiers to decide early whether they'd like to have children, and for them to preserve their sperm while they are still alive. Some have also called for soldiers to leave a 'biological will,' a testament that lays out an individual's wishes when it comes to posthumous use of eggs or sperm, whether they are retrieved after death or frozen while the person is still alive. Bella Savitsky, whose son Jonathan died in combat on October 7, opted to retrieve his sperm and got approval for it, but it came too late. Savitsky, a senior lecturer in the School of Health Sciences at Ashkelon Academic College, said studies show a maximum of 36 hours since time of death is the only time that retrieved sperm can be usable, a shorter timeframe than that cited by the Israeli government. This window is narrower in Israel because the hot weather can affect the sperm's quality in dead bodies, she said. On October 9, 2023, Savitsky received 'the knock on the door' from authorities, telling her that her 21-year-old son had been killed in heavy fighting at an army outpost near Gaza. Jonathan never wanted to be a soldier, she told CNN. He simply wanted to carry out his mandatory military service and return to civilian life. 'He wanted to get married, to have children, a dog, and a home in the countryside.' It took many hours for Savitsky to obtain a court order allowing the harvesting of her son's sperm. 'Altogether, it took 70 hours,' she said. 'So, when the posthumous sperm retrieval was done, it was not intact. There was no live sperm.' Sperm retrieval after death undoubtedly raises complex moral, ethical, judicial and religious questions. While technology has advanced, critics say the law has not kept up. Experts say the controversy stems from the lack of clear consent from the father and the idea of bringing a child into the world who is fatherless from the outset. 'Even if the deceased wanted to be a parent when he was alive, who says he wanted to have a child after his death? It's not the same thing,' Prof. Gil Siegal, head of the Center for Medical Law, Bioethics and Health Policy at Ono Academic College, told CNN. 'You are bringing into the world a child whose parent is known, named and deceased. This has a significant psychological impact and is different from a single-parent family,' Siegal said. Some may also object to having children that effectively serve as a monument to the deceased father. In that case, 'the grandparents are seeking a 'memorial' – a form of commemoration – or trying to recreate something that cannot be recreated,' Siegal said. There are also religious considerations, as 'retrieving sperm is an intrusive act, and in Judaism, there is a critical prohibition against desecrating the dead,' he said. To mitigate these issues, Savitsky believes that young men should be asked whether they would want their sperm to be posthumously retrieved before they enter army service, but said the ministry of defense may be wary of implementing this as it could dent troop morale. For Haim, despite the difficulties, the battle to have a grandchild gives her strength in the face of the tragedy she faces after October 7, as well as hope for the future. In May, the State Attorney's Office gave a green light in principle for Haim to use Yotam's sperm. That was a first step towards what may be a long journey for her to have a grandchild. The family still needs to present evidence to prove that Yotam would have wanted a child, Shatz, Haim's lawyer said. 'In the end, the reality did happen to us on October 7. So now – what will we do with that reality? Cry, wail, say, why did this happen to us?' she asked. 'Yes, a disaster happened. Period. But what else happened? A lot of amazing things also happened. That's where I'm aiming (for).' Previous reporting by CNN's Lianne Kolirin.
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
If You Want To Get To Know Your Grandkids Better, Ask Them These 50 Eye-Opening Questions
There's something special about the connection between a grandparent and a grandchild. While this bond goes deeper than words, conversation is a great way to get to know your grandkid and help keep that connection strong. But getting a conversation started, or keeping one going, isn't always easy. Maybe your grandchild is on the shy side, you haven't seen one another in a while or you're connecting on a video call instead of in person. A juicy question — the kind that leads them to see something in a new light, or inspires them to tell a story — can get a conversation started, or get it rolling again if you hit a lull. 'The point of asking questions should be to get to know your grandchildren better,' DeeDee Moore, a grandmother who blogs at More Than Grand, told HuffPost. Asking kids to elaborate with follow-up questions and open-ended prompts like 'What makes you say that?' are also a good way to keep kids talking. 'If you ask what their favorite color is, ask why they like it or how that color makes them feel,' Moore suggested. Part of the joy of asking kids questions is the surprise that their answers may bring, leading your conversation to take an unexpected turn. 'When I asked my four-year-old granddaughter if she had talked to any of her friends at school today, she initially said no,' Moore recounted. 'But then she explained, 'I just meowed because I was a kitty.' Instead of finding out more about her school day, we ended up having a conversation about how animals talk.' Here are some questions you can use to start a conversation with a grandkid or to keep one going. What's something you're really good at? 'A great follow up is to ask them to teach you how to do it,' Moore added. If you could invite anyone in the whole world to dinner, who would you invite? If you could walk into any book or movie, which one would you choose? If you could be any animal, which one would you be? Would you rather be able to fly like a bird or swim like a fish? If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be? Would you rather be able to tell the future or read other people's minds? What was the last thing that happened that made you laugh? What is something kind that someone has done for you? What is something about you that I don't already know? What do you think you'll be doing ten years from now? Where in the world would you most like to visit? Would you rather travel back to the past or into the future? What is something you want to learn how to do? What is your favorite thing about yourself? Would you rather travel underwater or in outer space? If your toy could talk, what would it say? What is your favorite time of the year? What is something about you that is unique? What kind of mom or dad do you think you would be? What do you think your pet is thinking right now? What would you do with a thousand dollars? What would you like to be famous for? What makes somebody a good friend? Would you rather be tiny like an insect or as tall as a giraffe? What do you think is the best smell on earth? What was the last dream that you remember? When you get bored in school, what do you start thinking about? Would you rather be the star of a movie, or the director? What is a job that you wouldn't want to do? Do you think it's ever a good idea to tell a lie? How do you show someone that you love them? What was your favorite part of the day? Who is your favorite person right now? Would you want to live forever? What would a perfect day look like for you? Would you rather have a pet dragon or a pet unicorn? If you could have any kind of store, what would you want to sell? What is the silliest thing you've ever done? What do you think is the most important rule for people to follow? Would you rather dance or paint what you are feeling? If you had to eat the same thing for every meal, what food would you choose? What is the weirdest thing you've ever tasted? How can you tell if somebody is smart? What is something brave that you have done? If you wrote a book, what would the title be? If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be? What is something that used to scare you but doesn't anymore? How do you think the world will be different by the time you are a grown up? What is something you've done that you would like to do again? More important that the question that gets them talking is how well you listen once you get them started. 'Listening carefully to your grandchildren is the greatest gift you can give them,' Moore said. Remembering details like their friends' names shows that you're paying attention and that you care. 'It builds a true connection when you show that you are interested in their lives.' And while there are advantages to having a conversation face-to-face, like being able to read someone's body language or decipher their tone, you don't have to be physically present with your grandchild to make a connection. Moore explained: 'Showing a curiosity for who they are can be done just as easily over video chat or in a letter as it can be over ice cream.'This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Wall Street Journal
27-06-2025
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Big Sur's Remoteness Is a Selling Point. Now It's Driving Longtime Owners Away.
When Brigga Mosca, 70, and Reed Cripe, 82, moved from Los Angeles to Big Sur, Calif., in 1983, they camped out in a two-person tent on a 5-acre piece of land they bought for around $70,000. They took their time designing and creating a custom home with lots of glass for viewing the stunningly beautiful and dramatic landscape of mountains and sea. Now the couple is selling the home for $3 million. The impetus is that their son, who lives in Santa Cruz, Calif., is expecting their first grandchild. Another factor: they are getting too old to live in such a rugged place, as much as they treasure it there, said Mosca.
Daily Mail
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Steven Gerrard's pregnant daughter Lilly-Ella, 21, shows off her baby bump as she prepares to welcome her first child with son of jailed Irish gangster
Steven Gerrard 's daughter Lilly-Ella showed off her burgeoning baby bump on Instagram as she prepares to welcome the footballing legend's first grandchild. In the snap, the influencer, 21, placed a hand lovingly on her stomach, keeping things comfortable in a black co-ord gym set. Lily-Ella struck a casual pose in the snaps shared on Sunday, keeping her face hidden by her phone so that all eyes would be on her impending arrival. In the second snap, she revealed that she is very much an animal lover, posing with three poodles. Alongside a heart and stars emoji, Lilly-Ella captioned the pictures: 'Me and bump.' While Lilly-Ella's exact due date is not known, she is expected to give birth any week now and said she was 'almost there' last month. The influencer announced she was expecting her first child in January. Lilly has been in a relationship with Lee Byrne - the son of a jailed Irish gangster - since October 2022, and their romance made headlines when it first came to light. The expectant parents have not revealed the baby's gender, leading fans to believe they are keeping the sex a surprise until the birth. Her father - former Liverpool and England legend Steven - will be just 45 when his first grandchild enters the world. The former midfielder has four children with wife Alex - daughters Lilly, Lexie, 19, Lourdes, 14, and a son named Lio, eight. Lilly announced her pregnancy news in January, dharing a photo of her positive pregnancy test and telling her 222,000 Instagram followers: 'Our little secret. The best news... mini us is on the way.' Responding to his daughter's post, Gerrard wrote: 'We can't wait. Congratulations and we love you.' Lilly's partner - with whom she was first linked in 2022 - is the son of Kinahan Cartel gangster Liam Byrne, who was issued a five and a half year prison sentence for a plot to stockpile a stash of machine guns. Ipswich Crown Court heard how Byrne and colleague Shaun Kent planted a haul of automatic weapons in a bid to help Kavanagh dupe the authorities. Kavanagh, Byrne's brother-in-law, was hoping to lead the National Crime Agency, Britain's FBI, to the guns in a bid to reduce his sentence in a drug conspiracy case. The staggering haul, imported from Holland, included the Skorpion, the type of automatic weapon used to murder Ashley Dale and Ellie Edwards on Merseyside. In January, it was reported that cartel mob boss Byrne, 44, who has connections to three of the most wanted men in the world, was let out with an electronic tag as part of the Prime Minister's controversial Early Release Scheme to ease overcrowding in prisons, sources said. Lee and Lilly became an item after Lee moved into a gated community in Freshfield, one of Merseyside's more desirable postcodes. The Byrne and Gerrard families are said to have bonded since the young couple began dating, with Lee describing Alex Gerrard, Steven's stunning wife, as his second mum. There is no suggestion that Lee or any member of the Gerrard family are involved in crime.
