The average mum and dad are finding coping with a couple of children a serious challenge amid the coronavirus crisis. So spare a thought for Joanne and Tommy O’Rourke – who welcomed their 11th child just days after the lockdown started, adding to a brood aged two to 16.
Joanne, 37, is getting by on five hours’ sleep a night while the 13 of them rattle around their four-bed semi. But she insists the lockdown has brought them closer together and is “a special time”.
She said: “It’s a weird time to give birth. There are no cards up and it’s heartbreaking that relatives can only meet him on FaceTime. “But we are so grateful he’s here and healthy.