AFLW star Moana Hope’s new baby meets her disabled sister Vinny in heartwarming moment
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AFLW star Moana Hope shared a sweet encounter with her newborn baby and sister Vinny.
On Wednesday, the 34-year-old posted a video of Vinny playing with her son Ahi, who Moana shares with wife Isabella Carlstrom.
In the video, baby Ahi giggles as Vinny waves and hold his legs while saying ‘hello’, while Isabella pulls him back and forward.
AFLW star Moana Hope shared a sweet encounter with her newborn baby and sister Vinny
‘So Ahi finds Vinny very funny. His first full giggle. So bloody sweet,’ Moana captioned the video.
Friends and fans were quick to comment on the adorable video.
‘Oh I’m going to watch this a billion times. Something so magical about a babies laugh. The look of love between them both is so adorable,’ one user wrote.
‘Ahi growing up soooo quickly. Gorgeous,’ another commented.
‘So Ahi finds Vinny very funny. His first full giggle. So bloody sweet,’ Moana captioned the video
Moana welcomed baby son Ahi (pictured) in June with wife Isabella Carlstrom
Moana is the sole carer for Lavinia, or Vinny, who lives with a rare neurological condition called Moebius syndrome.
It comes after Moana candidly spoke out about the horrific trolling she endured during the height of her sporting career.
‘You’d be in a shopping centre and [have] people abusing you,’ she recently told The Project.
‘They’re swearing at you and they’re yelling things to you… Getting messages on social media being told to “get back in the kitchen where you belong.”‘
Moana is the sole carer for Lavinia, or Vinny, who lives with a rare neurological condition called Moebius syndrome
Moana (right), 34, says she and her sister Lavinia (left) would get death threats during the peak of her AFLW career
In addition to receiving death threats and sexist abuse, Moana revealed that social media trolls would also target her disabled sister Lavinia.
‘I got death threats, Vinny got death threats,’ she continued. ‘We got the police involved many times.’
As for the pressure she faced on the field, Moana told The Project she would often leave training ‘in tears’.
The 34-year-old also revealed that people would approach her in public places and hurl sexist abuse at her
‘One time, my mum had a mini-stroke type thing,’ she recalled. ‘And I was taking my mum to hospital because I take care of my mum. And I was told, “If you don’t come to training, you are not playing.”‘
Moana said despite the pressures being a female playing footy, it’s not stopping her from wearing the jersey again.
‘I would love to play footy again. That’s my goal – to run through a banner with my kids and actually play footy the way I wanted to play footy,’ she said.
Moana is the sole carer for Lavinia, nicknamed Vinny, who lives with a rare neurological condition called Moebius syndrome
Moana said despite the pressures being a female playing footy, it’s not stopping her from wearing the jersey again
Moana and her wife Isabella Carlstrom welcomed their second child, son Ahi, in June.
It was the first child Moana had carried – with Isabella earlier giving birth to their daughter Svea, one.
In the same interview, she told The Project that she had always dreamed of giving birth – but the experience was a tough one.
Moana and Isabella welcomed their second child in June. It was the first child Moana had carried – with Isabella earlier giving birth to their daughter Svea, one. All pictured
‘I’ve always wanted my whole life to carry a child. I think if you can and you want to I think it’s the most amazing experience and I wanted to experience that’ she said.
However when Ahi was born, the tot was not breathing at first.
‘I went from screaming and crying, from wanting to strangle the guy giving me the epidural to what’s the score of the Melbourne game,’ she explained.
However when Ahi was born, the tot was not breathing at first. Pictured with wife Isabella
‘So she put the footy on and I was watching that and it turned very quick. He was born and he wasn’t breathing when he first came out which was really scary and for me I didn’t know what was going on.’
Luckily Ahi made a quick recovery and the couple have settled into life as a family of four.
‘Footy is too easy compared to giving birth. The biggest challenge of my life easily, mentally and physically’ Moana added.
The athlete and her model wife announced the birth of their son and second child Ahi in June.
Luckily Ahi made a quick recovery and the couple have settled into life as a family of four
‘We are proud parents of this beautiful little baby boy. His name is Ahi Joseph Carlstrom 24.6,’ Moana wrote on Instagram alongside images of him at the time.
‘Coming in at almost 4kgs, we endured 24 hours of labour that was the hardest and most challenging thing I’ve ever done in my life both physically and emotionally.
‘It brought us to the most beautiful little boy. You my little guy are perfect and your Mums love you.’
Meanwhile, Isabella gushed over Moana, writing: ‘Ahi Joseph Carlstrom born 24.06. Moana Hope you are incredible, I’m so unbelievably proud of you.
Moana and Isabella, who tied the knot in 2019, went through IVF to conceive their daughter Svea and their newborn son using the same donor
‘You went to hell and back to get our beautiful boy safely to us. I don’t have words to describe what it feels like to share this experience with you and understand each other on such a deep level. You’re so strong and I love you very much.’
‘You’re such a natural and Svea and Ahi are so lucky to have you as their Mum. Ahi, we all love you so much everything and shines a little brighter now that you’re earth side.’
Moana and Isabella, who tied the knot in 2019, went through IVF to conceive their daughter Svea and their newborn son using the same donor.
Isabella gave birth to Svea in November 2020 and Moana carried their second child.
Isabella gave birth to Svea in November 2020 and Moana carried their second child