Cyclone baby Lester Vaele celebrates his first birthday

While many around the Far North were commemorating the one-year anniversary of Cyclone Jasper, one little boy was celebrating his first birthday.

One-year-old Lester Vaele was born at Cairns Hospital while Cyclone Jasper was making landfall in the Far North on December 13, 2023. Photo: Caleb Vaele.

A little boy who was only hours old when Cyclone Jasper made landfall along the Far North Queensland coast, has celebrated his first birthday.

Lester Vaele Jnr was born at 6.47am on December 13, and was only hours old by the time Cyclone Jasper made landfall at Wujal Wujal that afternoon.

At the time, Lester’s parents Juvaine Lynn and Caleb Vaele drove from their Edmonton home, through strong winds and pouring rain to get to Cairns Hospital.

“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,” Ms Lynn said.

Lester Vaele, pictured with his mother Juvaine Lynn, was born in the middle of Tropical Cyclone Jasper, at 6:47am on Wednesday, December 13. He was one of nine babies, seven boys and two girls, born at the Cairns Hospital's maternity ward over a 26 hour period as Tropical Cyclone Jasper approached the Far North Queensland Coast. Picture: Brendan Radke

A year later and little Lester, who was named after his paternal grandfather, has grown into a “bubbly baby”.

“He started walking at six and a half months, so that was really early. He took his first full steps, now he’s just walking, or running around most of the time,” Mr Vaele said.

At the time, Mr Vaele and Ms Lynn were playfully warned by their midwives not to name him Jasper.

“He’s named after his papa who keeps stealing him but we kinda saw that coming,”he said.

“Once you have a namesake you start acting like that and they’re best friends. It’s so corny but cute.”

With five older sisters, Lester is doted on by his older siblings, but he won’t be the youngest for long.

“Home’s pretty hectic, my partner’s pregnant again so the seventh kid is on the way,” he said.

Originally published as Cyclone baby Lester Vaele celebrates his first birthday