Christmas baby joy - Mother delighted at giving birth on December 25
Published:Friday | December 27, 2019 | 12:00 AMCarlene Davis/Gleaner Writer
Tracyann Ewars laughs as she mulls over the idea that at least for the next 18 years, she will have to buy two gifts each year for her daughter, the first girl to be born at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital in Kingston on Christmas Day 2019.
At 30 years old, Ewars is welcoming her second daughter, Calysa Kelly, who was born at 12:12 a.m. and weighing at 3.72 kilograms.
“Excitement! Everybody did done predict it already, say a the 25th she a come, so when me see her due date pass me just print her T-shirt, ‘It’s my first Christmas’, because she will be coming on Christmas Day and it happened,” said Ewars.
Ewars said she was in the hospital from the 23rd, awaiting her daughter’s birth, and while the delivery wasn’t difficult, the pain was another matter, but she remains thankful.
“The pain did hot still, but it wasn’t hard, she come quick, and yes, me know about the two presents situation, but them start that already, everybody is at home with presents waiting for her,” said Ewars.
The first baby boy delivered on Christmas belonged to 24-year-old Kannisha Brown, weighing at 3.04 kilograms. Tayquan Griffiths arrived at 6:13 a.m. via Caesarean section.
“I am looking forward to my family coming, I feel good. I was scared and wanted to get the cut because I was in too much pain. I am still in a little bit of pain, but I am happy and alright,” said Brown.
The Latin American Women’s Club of Jamaica was at the hospital ready to make presentations to the new mothers.
“We have been doing this for 53 years. We come every year on Christmas Day and we give gifts to the mothers. We do charity functions each year and we collect the money which allows us to buy the gifts for the mothers,” said founder and president of the club, Maria Pinchin.
Vice president of the club, Xiomara Walker, added: “We don’t want to stop now. We started it and we live here, and we like giving back to Jamaica. Of course, we can’t compete with what is coming now, but we try our best to still do it.”
When The Gleaner visited the hospital, nine babies had been delivered so far for Christmas Day.
“Christmas at Jubilee, corporate Jamaica really comes in and gift the mothers, so they feel the Christmas spirit. So even though they are not at home and they are in the hospital, there are lots of gifts that are given to them, and I think these are things that they are going to need, and we look forward to it for Christmas for the patients,” said Director of Nursing Services for Victoria Jubilee Hospital Elise Fairweather-Blackwood, who has been working at the institution for 28 years.