Baby boy Aden was born yesterday to proud first-time parents Andie Chen and his Taiwanese actress wife Kate Pang.

But the lead-up to his birth was somewhat dramatic, as Singaporean actor Chen had to fly to Taipei in the midst of filming in Malaysia.

A string of obstacles were thrown his way and it weighed heavily on him that he would not make it in time to welcome his son into the world.

Chen, 29, who was shooting Channel 8 drama The Journey: Tumultuous Times in Ipoh, was a victim of a cab ride gone wrong.

He told The New Paper: "I got the call (that Kate was close to delivery) at 6am on Sunday and I just rushed off. I was already done with hair and make-up and was about to film. "Everyone was completely happy for me and cheering me on. But there was a boo-boo as the cab driver thought I was going to the Ipoh airport and drove me there instead of Kuala Lumpur. "I managed to alight and hail another cab in half-an-hour and then rushed to Kuala Lumpur International Airport. "After reaching the correct airport, I was informed that the seats on the (earliest) flights were full. "Luckily, the counter staff referred me to an alternative airline and after much effort on their part, managed to get me a ticket to Taipei."

Chen and Pang made headlines last year after they made the shocking announcement that they had married on Nov 24, when Pang was already two months pregnant.

Many presumed it was a shotgun marriage but Chen told TNP in a previous report that they weren't fans of marriage and did so only for the baby bonus and Government subsidies.

On Sunday, Chen managed to reach his wife's side by 9pm and said that Pang, 31, was "still feeling okay".

At around 11pm, the waves of pain from her contractions started getting intense.

THE BEST

Pang had opted for a natural delivery without drugs as she had told Chen she wanted the best for their child.

After 24 hours of labour, she gave birth to Aden at their home at 6.29am yesterday.

Aden, who weighed 3.66kg, has a full head of jet-black hair.

Chen said: "He has so much hair!

"We chose the name Aden because we wanted a classic, simple name and Aden (of Celtic origin) really struck a chord with me, it means little fire."

For now, the joyous dad wants to spend as much time as he can with his son as he has only 10 days in Taipei before returning to Malaysia for filming.

"I'm just happy to have made it in time," said Chen.

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This article was first published on July 1, 2014.
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