Party-crashing preemie is Cornwall Regional’s first New Year baby
Published:Thursday | January 2, 2020 | 12:40 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Little Daniel Duval Thomas evidently couldn’t wait to be the first child born at Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH) in St James, crashing the New Year’s party three months premature despite his mother’s efforts to delay the delivery.
Daniel, who was born at 4:55 in the wee hours of Wednesday morning and weighed in at 1.025kg (2.2lb), is currently in an incubator on CRH’s maternity ward. However, his mother, Keisha Miller-Thomas, believes that they were both blessed for her child to be the hospital’s first baby for 2020.
Miller-Thomas, a mother of three other sons hailing from Duanvale in neighbouring Trelawny, bore a relaxed smile as she told The Gleaner of her gratitude for Daniel’s birth, even while admitting to having undergone pain and worry at the point of delivery.
“It wasn’t really the time for him to be here, but he chose to be here on this first day of 2020, and I’m happy and thank God for him. I am very blessed and highly favoured,” Miller-Thomas said regarding her newborn son.
“I was 28 weeks along when I gave birth, so I felt kind of scared that probably he wouldn’t make it. When the labour came on, I was trying to bear the pain and they gave me some medication in order to cut the pain so I could get some more time (prior to delivery), but as I’ve said, maybe he was ready, so here he’s come.”
Donna Hewitt-Channer, the acting manager of the delivery suite at CRH, noted that her department makes every effort to make expectant mothers comfortable, as was the case for Miller-Thomas’ delivery.
“I wasn’t on duty at the time (when Miller-Thomas gave birth), but we try to ensure that the mothers deliver safely and that the birth of their new babies is a wonderful experience for them. We believe that this year, 2020, will be a very good and productive year to come,” Hewitt-Channer said with much optimism.