US entertainment presenter Maria Menounos has welcomed her first child with her husband Keven Undergaro
The 45-year-old revealed in Us Weekly that her surrogate had given birth to a baby girl.
She said: “It was the most special moment of my life. The doctor grabbed her and hiked her onto me. I sat with her on my chest, and Keven and I kept looking at each other like, ‘Oh my god’.
“It was just pure joy. It was like Christmas morning a million times over. Athena is our miracle baby. I’m so grateful for her.
“It feels better than I could’ve ever imagined. It’s euphoric. For so long, I’ve felt something is missing. I’d go to kids’ birthday parties and be a little sad because I wanted my own family. And now I feel so grounded, and it’s like I finally know where I belong.
“The whole house is on happy crack.”
Just weeks ago, Maria revealed she found out she had stage 2 pancreatic cancer days before the couple found out they were expecting via a surrogate.
She underwent surgery to remove it and is keen to raise awareness of being diagnosed early.
Maria, who hosts the Heal Squad podcast, was diagnosed and treated for a benign brain tumour in 2017, so she is not shy about discussing her health issues.
She said: “I was feeling so good and then got slapped in the face with this new diagnosis. I’d scream out loud. I was inconsolable.”
Maria said the cancer had not been detected in a CT scan, but she was still in a lot of stomach pain. A whole-body MRI discovered a 3.9cm tumour.
Her prognosis is good after doctors told her she would not need further treatment. She now requires an annual scan.
When asked if she wanted more children, Maria said she wanted 50.
She said: “Yes, I want 50 more. I want more of the joy that Athena has brought to this house. It feels so good. There have been lots of rough times, but I know all of that is behind us, and all the good stuff is ahead.”
Read more about Maria’s journey:
Maria Menounos reveals cancer diagnosis just weeks after surrogacy joy
