Sophie Delezio, an Australian woman and survivor of two near-fatal car crashes as a child, has announced on social media that she is pregnant with her first child.
Delezio shared pictures of herself, her partner Joseph Salerno and sonogram images on Wednesday – her 23rd birthday – to her 342,000 followers on Instagram.
“The greatest gift of all coming in September!” she wrote in the caption of the post.
Delezio and Salerno met when they were in Year 9 at Oxford Falls Grammar School in Sydney. The childhood sweethearts have been engaged since Valentine’s Day last year.
Delezio received thousands of comments from her followers celebrating the news.
“This is truly the most beautiful news ever! So happy for you both! Your little one will be surrounded by so much love,” one wrote.
“Beyond happy for you all, so special,” said another.
“Congratulations, you are both going to make the most incredible parents. Little munchkin is soooo lucky,” a third said.
Later, Delezio thanked her followers for the messages of love and support for the soon-to-be parents.
“Thank you all for the outpouring of love and kind words you’ve all been sending,” she wrote on her Instagram story.
“Joseph and I are overjoyed and will be sharing our journey on my social media accounts in the months to come.
“Both our families and our friends couldn’t be more supportive and happy for us!”
Sophie Delezio became a well-known name around the country after she survived two serious car crashes by the time she was just five years old.
In 2003, a car crashed through a childcare centre in Fairlight, on the northern beaches of Sydney. Delezio, who was just two years old at the time, was trapped beneath a burning car.
Delezio suffered serious burns to 85 per cent of her body. She was hospitalised for several months and lost both her feet, her right hand and her right ear as a result of her injuries.
Two and a half years later, in 2006, Delezio was involved in a second serious car crash. She was hit by a car and thrown 18 metres from her wheelchair while her nanny pushed her in her chair across a pedestrian crossing. Delezio suffered several injuries and was hospitalised for more than a month. She was just five years old.
Now, more than 20 years on from her first near-fatal accident, Delezio is a keynote speaker, journalist and has a large following on social media.