At 4.53am on January 1, 2000 Michaela Foster came into the world, the second child of Roch and Natasha Foster then living at Chatham.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Michaela and Natasha were front page news in the Manning River Times at that time. She was the first baby born in the Manning Valley. It was the Millennium. There was even a special coin minted for 2000 babies.
Then on January 1, 2010, the Times caught up with Michaela, the 10 year old and then a student at St Joseph’s Primary School, Taree.
So New Year’s Day 2018 marked Michaela’s 18th birthday, which she celebrated with family and friends at the Harrington Festival and fireworks and her mum invited the Times to catch up again, at their home at Harrington Waters. Michaela is in her final year of high school at St Clare’s with her sights set on a career with the police force. She is a keen sportswoman and plays representative touch footy with the Taree Flames. She has also represented in a range of sports.
She has already started her preparation for the Higher School Certificate and is buckling down for the final leg.
Her girlfriends camped out with Michaela at her home for the extended birthday celebrations.
The Millennium was a much anticipated and celebrated event, apart from the threat of the “Millennium bug” which was thought would cause widespread confusion in the computer world – but didn’t.
Natasha and Roch were at a party at Roch’s sister’s place in Wingham on New Year’s Eve 18 years ago. Powderfinger’s My Happiness was number one in the Hottest 100 on Triple J that year but Natasha was a Fleetwood Mac fan. It was around midnight when Natasha thought “S..t, I know what’s happening.” Their son Brendan was two years old so she knew she was in labour.
She was also designated driver, so had to drive herself and Roch to Manning Hospital.
After a few hours of labour, Michaela was born, a healthy eight pounds 10 ounces – 3.91 kilos. Natasha was thankful she was born early – Michaela wasn’t due until January 4. Eighteen years later mum and daughter both enjoy some Fleetwood Mac.