Ascension hospitals welcome more than 81,000 babies a year, and though each one is special, it's a tradition to celebrate the first baby of the New Year.
In Texas, Ruby Danielle made her debut at 12:02 a.m. at Seton Northwest Hospital, Austin, part of the Seton Healthcare Family of the Ascension Texas Ministry Market. Because 2016 is the 25th anniversary of Seton Northwest, Nancy Axelson, a hospital volunteer who has made more than 700 blankets for newborns, created a special quilt noting the hospital's anniversary, which was presented to Ruby's family.
At the same time, one hundred miles away in Waco, Josiah was born at Providence, part of Providence Healthcare Network of the Ascension Texas Ministry Market.
At St. Mary's Health System in Evansville, part of the Ascension Indiana Ministry Market, the mom of the first baby of the year was also an Ascension associate. Brooke Wagner, Events Coordinator for St. Mary's Health Foundation, and her husband, Billy, celebrated the birth of William Van Wagner on New Year's Day at St. Mary's Hospital for Women and Children.
Other special New Year's deliveries across Ascension included Caroline McClain (Sacred Heart Hospital Pensacola, Florida), Ian Kim (Via Christi Hospital, Manhattan, Kansas), McKinzie (Via Christi Hospital, Wichita, Kansas), Jaceyon (Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital, Nashville, Tennessee), Lili-Rose Marie (Lourdes Hospital, Binghamton, New York), Orion (Ministry Saint Joseph's Hospital, Marshfield, Wisconsin), and Ellis (Ministry Saint Mary's Hospital, Rhinelander, Wisconsin), who were among the first of what is expected to be more than 81,000 newborns whose families trust Ascension hospitals for compassionate, personalized care.
