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Jayden Lavender, 14, and Jenifer Morrison, 15, have been briefly reunited with their newborn daughter.
The teenage parents, who sparked an urgent police search after fleeing hospital with their three-day-old baby, Aria Jayde Tanya, have been allowed to visit the child after five days apart.
“It definitely brought a smile to my face,” Jayden told 7 News.
“I haven’t been able to smile properly in a couple of days and that’s definitely brought a smile to my face and I know it’s definitely brought a smile to her face.”
He added: “She [Jenifer] started crying as soon we, literally saw her.”
Jayden explained that their daughter is “happy and healthy” and is growing just fine.
WATCH: Jayden Lavender and Jenifer Morrison are reunited with their baby. Post continues…
The young parents, who feared authorities would take their child away from them due to their age, were captured on CCTV footage leaving Nepean Hospital in Kingswood with their baby concealed under a blanket on Thursday, April 13.
Armed with a few items of clothing for their daughter and a sum of $80 the young parents made their way to Mount Druitt before purchasing a tent, sleeping bag and camping supplies from Kmart.
The couple spent the night camping in the wilderness until they were located by authorities after a 16-hour long mass search, The Daily Telegraph reports.
The couple’s situation has drawn national attention.
The baby, Aria Jayde Tanya, is reportedly “happy and healthy.”
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazard has since pleaded with parents to stop their teenagers having children of their own.
“Kids having kids when they’re literally kids themselves is just a big challenge for those children and for those children they’re having” he said.
“The problem is not increasing at the moment, but it’s certainly significant and what we need to realise is, having children too young is just not appropriate. It can be very disadvantageous – so think twice, in fact think three times.”
Despite the comments, the young parents have been met with an outpouring of support from the Australian public.
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