‘We had a cyclone inside’: Lester Vaele, one of nine babies born during Cyclone Jasper

Nine babies were welcomed into the world in true Far North Queensland style, having been born in the midst of a cyclone.

Nine babies were welcomed into the world in true Far north Queensland style, having been born in the midst of a cyclone, including little Lester Vaele.

Baby Lester was born at 6.47am Wednesday morning, and was only hours old by the time Cyclone Jasper made landfall at Wujal Wujal on Wednesday afternoon.

Proud mum Juvaine Lynn said she wasn’t too concerned about the cyclone as her partner Caleb Vaele drove her to the hospital, picking up her mother along the way.

Lester Vaele, pictured with his mother Juvaine Lynn, was born in the middle of Tropical Cyclone Jasper, at 6.47am on Wednesday, December 13. Picture: Brendan Radke

“We drove from Edmonton to Edge Hill to pick up my mum before we came (to the hospital). I was too busy contracting to notice the storm outside,” Ms Lynn said.

And following in the footsteps of a famous biblical figure, by the time Ms Lynn arrived, there were no beds available in the ward.

“They put me in a room for labour and there was a window so we watched the cyclone outside while we had our own cyclone inside,” she said.
As their fifth baby, and only boy, Lester was named after his maternal grandfather.

Dad, Caleb Vaele, said naming him after the cyclone was never an option.
“Even the midwives were telling us not to name him Jasper. They said he was making enough trouble outside,” Mr Vaele said.

The youngest of five, Ms Lynn said Lester’s older sisters were excited to finally have a baby brother.
“We didn’t know what he was going to be because he had his legs crossed at the scan. We accepted that he was going to be a girl but when he came out, we got really excited that he was a boy, but we would’ve been happy either way,” she said.

Cairns Hospital and Hinterland Health Service confirmed seven baby boys and two baby girls were born within the 26 hour cyclone period between 6.30am Wednesday and 8am Thursday.

At this stage, it has not been confirmed if any were named Jasper.

A similar phenomenon occurred during Cyclone Yasi in 2011, with expectant mothers going into labour during the weather event.

Originally published as ‘We had a cyclone inside’: Lester Vaele, one of nine babies born during Cyclone Jasper