Footballer proposes in Wishaw General maternity

Hamilton Accies Greek centre-back, Georgios Sarris, asked staff to dress his new-born baby daughter in a baby grow with “mummy will you marry my daddy?” written on the front.

Georgios said: “I had been planning on how I would ask Maria to marry me for ages and I eventually come up with the idea of putting the question on our daughter’s first baby grow.

“But not long after Maria had given birth to Nancy, she was taken to the neonatal unit for observation. We had a nervous wait while Nancy was in the neonatal unit and I was already anxious because of the birth and my planned proposal. I thought that the moment had gone.

“Once Nancy was given the all clear, I spoke with the staff and they were only too happy to help me out. I was so happy that the nurses and midwives were prepared to go the extra length to make sure my proposal could work out as planned.”

Neonatal staff dressed baby Nancy, who weighed 6 pounds 15 ounces, in her special first outfit. They then placed her in an incubator and wheeled her round to the maternity unit where she was reunited with her mum and dad.

It was then that Georgios got down on one knee and asked the big question in front of maternity staff.

Ann Brockett, maternity care assistant who witnessed the proposal, said: “It was so romantic. In all my years in the maternity unit I have never seen anything like it. It was a very emotional time for both Georgios and Maria and a few of us shed a tear too. They are a lovely family.”

The couple have been together for six years and moved to Scotland in 2016 following Georgios’ move to the Lanarkshire club.

Maria said: “I was really emotional. To know my daughter was okay and in my arms was a wonderful feeling, I was on top of the world. Then I noticed the writing on the baby grow. I looked over and Georgios was on one knee with a ring in his hand. I started to cry all over again but I managed to say yes.

“I will never forget that day as long as I live and I will never forget the staff who helped bring Nancy into the world and make the proposal possible.”

The couple have previously been married in a registry office back in Greece ahead of the birth of Nancy.

They now plan on a much grander affair in a Greek Orthodox Church, surrounded by friends and family and one special little bridesmaid.

Senior charge midwife, Susan Clements, said: “We were very happy to help Georgios make his extraordinary proposal to Maria.

“In my 34 years as a midwife, I haven’t seen any dad propose to the mother on the ward. It was lovely that our midwives and neonatal staff got a chance to be involved in such a special moment for the new family.”