Brazilian footballer Hulk has welcomed the arrival of his first child with the niece of his ex-wife.
Yesterday, Camilo Angelo gave birth to their daughter Zaya at Mercy Hospital in Miami, where the pair share an apartment together.
The 35-year-old footballer, whose full name is Givanildo Viera de Sousa, flew from Brazil to be present at the birth, missing his club Atletico Mineiro’s match on Sunday.
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Taking to Instagram, the striker wrote a lengthy post dedicated to his new-born ‘princess’. It read: “Our little Zaya was born under the blessing of God Our Almighty Father.
“Zaya means enlightened, luck, flower that blossoms and she comes to bring light and illuminate our lives more. Come blossom our home my love. We’ve dreamed about your arrival for a long time.
“Happy to be able to experience the grace of the promises of God. Thank you, God, for my family that I will honour and love for ever.”
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Addressing his baby girl, he added: “You are an answer to our prayers, daughter, you came to make our life even more beautiful. You are our blessing.”
“Welcome my princess, I will love and protect you for ever. Hulk, your father,” he finished.
In a further Instagram story, Hulk also shared a photo of Zaya’s birth card, showing she was born at 14:22 Florida time (19:22 in the UK) and weighing 8lbs 9oz.
Camila also shared a photo of herself and Hulk cuddling their daughter moments after she was born, adding: “Welcome Zaya.”
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The footballer shares three children with his former wife, Iran Angelo, who happens to be his new wife’s aunt.
Hulk and Camila married in September 2020 and announced they were expecting their first child together last September, posting a loved-up snap to Instagram of them holding up ultrasound scan photos.
The 35-year-old striker previously described himself as a dad-of-four on social media before the birth of Zaya, listing her as one of his kids after Ian, Tiago and Alice.
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This news comes after Cristiano Ronaldo announced the tragic loss of his newborn twin son.
The Manchester United footballer wrote in an Instagram statement shared on Monday, 18 April: “It is with our deepest sadness that we have to announce that our baby boy has passed away." The post was also signed by Ronaldo's fiancee, Georgina Rodriguez.
The parents' statement continued: “It is the greatest pain that any parent can feel. Only the birth of our baby girl gives us the strength to live this moment with some hope and happiness.
"We would like to thank the doctors and nurses for all their expert care and support. Our baby boy, you are our angel. We will always love you."
Abbi Murray