MIRACLE-MAKER Julie Fisher has made a childless couple's dreams come true in York - by giving birth to their second son.

Fay Leonard said she and her husband Barry felt like lottery winners when the Tadcaster dinner lady brought baby Bradley into the world to complete their family.

Surrogate mum Julie, 32, who has two young daughters of her own, has spent the past four years helping couples overcome the heartbreak of infertility.

Last year she gave birth at York Hospital to a boy, Jordan, for Fay and Barry - and has now given Jordan a little brother.

Healthy baby Bradley Robin James was born by caesarean section at the same hospital, and weighed 7lb 15oz. Julie's husband Andrew was beside her during the birth, as Fay and Barry nervously paced outside in the corridor.

"I've got everything I want in the world. I don't need to win the lottery - I've just won it," said Fay.

"Julie is one in a million. I'm glad we found each other and we can stick together now as friends.

"The birth was very emotional - we were in floods of tears."

Julie, who said she was in some pain following the birth, said: "I'm very proud of what I've done. It was a lot easier this time, everything went really well.

"My daughters were really excited about it. I hope we will get invited to the christening!"

Fay said she will explain to Jordan and Bradley about what happened when they were old enough to understand.

"I would have been a very unhappy lady without the chance of having a child," she said.

"Something would have been missing from my life."

Julie, who has the total support of her husband Andrew, has also been an egg donor, which has brought baby joy to another couple. But she said this was the last time she would be a surrogate.

"I'm lost for words, really," Julie said. "It has been a wonderful experience."

The dinner lady offered to help Fay and Barry, from Northamptonshire, after picking them out through the support organisation COTS (Childlessness Overcome Through Surrogacy). Faye was forced to have a complete hysterectomy aged 19, and the couple's two previous attempts at surrogacy had failed.

Surrogacy factfile

Surrogacy is where a woman gives birth to a child for another couple.

There are two types: "host" where the intended parents donate their own sperm and eggs via IVF to create an embryo that is implanted into the surrogate; and "straight" where the surrogate uses her own eggs and the sperm of the intended father, which she inserts using a special insemination kit.

The surrogate mother retains rights over the baby until the intended parents have secured a Parental Order from court, which must happen before the child is six months old.

At this point, a new birth certificate is issued giving the names of the new, legal parents.

Updated: 10:29 Wednesday, July 14, 2004