New year hope - First babies of 2021 blessing for moms
Published:Sunday | January 3, 2021 | 12:15 AMJudana Murphy - Sunday Gleaner Writer
Approximately six and a half hours after midnight on New Year’s Day, 20-year-old Dana Thomas welcomed her son into the world.
Thomas was the third mother to give birth at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital in Kingston on the first day of 2021, with the first being born at 12:48 a.m. and the second at 3:06 a.m. Camaila Johnson gave birth to Laiya Fearon, while Havier Edmonson was born to Chrisann Baker.
For Thomas, a first-time mom, it was sheer joy as she admired baby Sheldon Wright, who weighed 3.37 kilograms.
“He came at 6:27 this morning. It’s such a blessing because 2020 brought a lot of struggles, and going into 2021, God has blessed me with a gift,” she said with a smile.
Thomas shared that being pregnant during the COVID-19 pandemic required her to be more careful about the places she visited and the people she came in contact with.
Each year, she had always looked forward to January 1, merely because it is the first day of the year, but now that date will have greater significance and gives her another reason to be grateful.
“For this year, I want better opportunities in life, mainly for my son, and I think he will motivate me to do that just for him,” Thomas told The Sunday Gleaner.
The Kingston 20 resident said that she was pursuing an associate degree in coaching at G.C. Foster College, and though her studies were halted by the pregnancy, she is undeterred.
“I am going to continue right after he reaches a few months old, so I can achieve my degree. My mother always encourages me to do my best and I really hope 2021 changes for the better,” Thomas said.
Though COVID-19 has altered how people around the world live, the new mom plans to give her child the best life possible, while ensuring that he remains safe and healthy.
Over at the Spanish Town Hospital in St Catherine, Lison Burke was among the proud moms who celebrated giving birth on New Year’s Day.