Couple welcome miracle baby daughter after Jason Manford steps in to pay for IVF

A new mum has thanked comedian and dad-of-six Jason Manford for paying for her to have IVF treatment, saying his generosity 'made me a mummy'.

Mairi and Jamie Purdie were selected for IVF on the NHS after a two-year wait but after they both lost their jobs during the pandemic, they faced crippling daily travel costs just to get to a specialist fertility clinic. The couple reached out on social media and Salford-born Jason answered the call, personally donating £250 to their appeal, which was more than the original target.

Mairi, who lives with her husband in Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland, said the money raised - £1,146 in total - allowed them to travel to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for tests and treatment. The couple's daughter, Lennon, was born happy and healthy on June 9.

The couple were halfway through their IVF journey at the time of their appeal. Pulling out could have dashed their dream of ever becoming parents. And the couple's 2006 Honda Jazz had also irreparably broken down, forcing them to rely on public transport to get to and from appointments at the hospital.

In a now viral message to Jason on Twitter, Mairi, 26, wrote: "Meet Lennon, the little girl you donated money towards for our IVF that made me a mummy. Thank you again!"

The stand-up comic and gameshow host used a heart emoji as he replied: "Well that's made my Sunday."

In a subsequent message Mairi thanked all those who donated, saying: "Thank you so much Everyone for your kindness. Thanks to Jason we were recognised and the shot in the dark we took paid off. We wouldn’t have our Lennon Arabella Purdie had we struggled to travel to and from the hospital.

Mairi, who shared a photograph of Lennon with Jason on Twitter, told the Manchester Evening