Village marks first baby born in 50 years
A village in the second-least populated department in France has seen its first baby born in 50 years – with the mairie having to check with a neighbouring town about the correct way to do the paperwork.
Little Axelle was born very early in the morning in Auge, Creuse, as her parents Jean and Cyrielle Brugère rushed to get into the car to head for the maternity hospital.
Village mayor Elizabeth Henry was careful to point out that she was the “first baby to be born in our territory – of course, we have had other babies born here but the others have been at the maternity hospitals at Montluçon or Guéret.
“It is the first time we have had to open the register of births in about 50 years.
“There are two maternity hospitals, at Montluçon 25km away, or Guéret, 40km, but this sometimes happens in departments where hospitals are not close by.
“Registering a birth is a very serious thing and we checked what we were doing with Montluçon as we wanted to make sure we were doing it all correctly.”
For Axelle’s father Jean her arrival was more than just a wonderful moment – as a landscape gardener it tickled his sense of humour and he told local journalists: “Is that not beautiful? My daughter, my little flower, born in the middle of my garden...”
He and Cyrielle are new arrivals themselves in the village – Axelle became its 100th resident – and Ms Henry hopes that other young families can be persuaded to join them.
