Singer's baby helping family deal with grief

Santos is an easy baby, says his mother. Photo / Rob Trathen

Little Santos Fuemana's favourite shirt reads: "My Dad, My Hero".

And the newborn boy has helped his family emerge from the shadow cast by the death of the Kiwi pop star Pauly Fuemana, his widow Kirstine says.

"He has brought a lot of love to everyone. All we hope for is that he grows up to make his dad proud."

Kirstine says that her late husband, creator of the smash hit single How Bizarre, had been ecstatic about becoming a father for the sixth time.

"Pauly would have populated the earth quite happily," she jokes. "Pauly had it all planned out, he was going to look after Santos. If he was still around, I doubt we would even get a hold. We thought Pauly was quite well then."

But in January - just two months after learning of the pregnancy - the 40-year-old former OMC singer died of pneumonia. Doctors later discovered he had been suffering from a rare neurological disorder.

Santos Valentino Paul Lawrence Fuemana was born at North Shore Hospital on July 19, 169 days after the death. He weighed 3.4kg.

Kirstine says it was surreal returning to the place where she spent three days watching Pauly deteriorate before his death.

"I couldn't even remember that whole time in there, it was such a blur." The family still miss Pauly terribly, she says, but they are helping each other through the grieving process.

And Santos, with his Dad's big long fingers and musician hands, helps them remember.

"I always think that Pauly has blessed me," Kirstine adds. "He's an incredibly easy baby, he doesn't cry. Just started smiling and laughing."

Pauly's older sister Tina says he looks like Pauly as a baby.