‘I was a dad for just two hours, it was precious’

A young man has told of his heartache at having been a father for just two hours as a rare condition claimed the life of his daughter.

Eoghan Bell, 21, cuddled infant Lucy and whispered “baby talk” to her for the all-too brief spell she survived in the hospital.

He was only 20 and his girlfriend just 19 when they had to face losing their only child, who was born a month early on Jan 10, 2011. Lucy was suffering from what doctors believe was the extremely rare Nager Syndrome, a condition affecting the development of the face, airway, and limbs. Fewer than 200 cases of the disease have been documented globally.