A couple who finally conceived after struggling for years were so chuffed when they found out they were expecting, they went big on announcing the news.
Gus Forward and wife Cynthia, from Texas, US, created a comedy sports-themed news conference to reveal the name and gender of their son, Michael, due in May this year.
The couple posed as selfie-obsessed celebs in the news clip, and even pretended the announcement was sponsored by a fried chicken company.
“We had so much trouble conceiving, we didn’t even think we would be able to have a baby for a while, so when it finally happened we wanted to do something really special to celebrate,” said Gus, 34, who has a background in video creation.
The couple had been trying for a baby for four years and went to numerous fertility specialists – “It was a very expensive and emotionally draining experience,” said Gus.
“When we were finally told that Cynthia was pregnant we couldn’t believe it, we were so thrilled and actually very apprehensive too, we were nervous, even after the three month point, our doctor tried to reassure us.”
It was Cynthia’s idea to create a special video to reveal their news to friends and family, which the couple posted on Facebook.
“She encouraged me to use my creative skills from work to do something fun for us and the baby,” said Gus. “So I said: ‘what if we acted like the complete opposite of ourselves, and pretended to be really egotistical and brand-oriented?’”
While the video looks like a high-budget affair it was actually thrown together fairly quickly. “It was mostly improvised really,” said Gus. “I wrote a rough script about two hours beforehand and then we just rolled with it.
“We made the costumes from stuff we had lying around, the hat that says ‘Gus’s Fried Chicken’ was a joke gift to me… I thought it was perfect.”
The couple’s dog Zorro, nine, played a starring role. The video was a big hit with the couple’s friends and family – and soon went viral on social media.
“We’re really pleased that our son will be able to see this one day, it’s definitely something for the scrapbook,” added Gus.