11:10am Saturday 4th July 2009
By Laura Kitching
A WEYMOUTH man has been hailed a Dad in a Million for caring for his ill son.
Philip Smithers, of Wyke Regis, won top prize of best Daddy of the Year in a national competition The 26-year-old care worker beat hundreds of entries to be named Daddies Daddy of the Year 2009.
It came after his wife, Pauline, and mother-in-law, Yvonne Mead, nominated him on behalf of his two-and-a-half-year-old son Sebastian in a regional competition advertised in the Echo, in which he beat 50 entries to win.
The father-of-two, who also has a five-year-old daughter Isabella, said he was 'happily surprised' by the title but added: "I didn't feel like I needed to win it to know I'm a good dad.
"I love spending all my time with my kids."
Philip works nights as a senior care assistant at Montevideo House Care Home in Chickerell to free his days for his children.
He said Sebastian's health problems at a young age had made them closer as a family.
Philip said: "He went into hospital at three months old with bronchiolitis.
"He needed a heart operation when he was four months old and had to be ventilated at the paediatric intensive care unit at Southampton hospital.
"Then he had croup, which recurred every month until doctors found a flap of skin was stopping him from breathing and cut it away.
"Now, touch wood, he hasn't had a problem since - I can't praise the Southampton unit enough because without them Sebastian wouldn't be here."
Philip said Isabella suffered from the hyperactive disorder ADHD, which the family and her school had worked hard to manage and had now made progress.
Since winning the award Philip has received a plaque, a year's supply of Daddies sauce - specially labelled with his face on the bottle - and a family ticket to Thorpe Park.
A mix-up with train tickets meant he could not attend the London ceremony so Philip was also given an England shirt signed by John Terry and £200 to reimburse lost wages.
He added: "It's all been really nice.
"I think being a good dad is about spending all your time with your kids.
"Every day that my two beautiful children progress and do well it fills me with pride."
THE winning entry, which was written for Sebastian, aged two, by his granny . . .
"My Daddy is the best.
"Whenever I'm rushed to Dorchester and Southampton hospitals he stays with me every time, keeps me company and cheers me up.
"I love him."
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