One day, when he is older, baby Rhoden Roach Bannerman's family will be able to tell him the story of his birth and how it brought a little ray of light to the blackest of weeks.
Little Rhoden came into the world at 8.23 last night, five days after his father, 19-year-old Roach Bannerman, was killed in a horrific car crash.
There to welcome the baby boy who looked so much like his own was Roach's father, Iain Bannerman.
"I've had so much emotion this week, but this is absolutely unbelievable," he said.
"I stayed for the birth and cut the umbilical cord.
"He looks just like his old man. I feel like a little bit of my son is going to live on and it's brought my wife and I so much joy. He's a little shining light on an absolutely terrible week."
Roach Bannerman was one of three men killed on Friday night when their car struck a power pole on the Princes Hwy at Unanderra, ploughed into a gas main and burst into flames. He left behind his young girlfriend, Skye Leonard.
Mr Bannerman said the new mum had "done an unbelievable job" after a day-long labour and thanked family, friends and the wider community for its support following the tragedy.
"We've still got to bury the young fella's father so there will be no celebrations for a while," he said.
Roach Bannerman will be buried on Tuesday.
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