At 5:30 a.m. on Jan. 1, Niagara Health saw the birth of its first 2023 baby.
Ella Gabayan and Joseph Ong of Mississauga planned their New Year’s Eve trip to Niagara Falls knowing that their second child’s due date was still a few weeks away on Jan. 23. With this in mind, they felt comfortable enough booking a trip to a hotel in Niagara Falls to partake in New Year’s festivities.
The couple did not expect that their trip would end with a new member joining the family.
According to Gabayan, the couple had brought their baby’s hospital bag along on the trip “just in case” it ended up being necessary. To Gabayan and Ong, this even seemed like an over-precaution at the time.
“We even spent some of our time in Niagara talking about what I needed to pack in my bag,” Gabayan said to Niagara Health in a press release.
After staying up to watch fireworks, Gabayan and Ong returned to their hotel and went to bed – only for Gabayan to wake up with contractions a few hours later.
The couple initially intended to make their way back to Mississauga before heading to the St. Catharines Hospital upon the realization that there would not be enough time to return home.
The baby boy is the couple’s second child. Seven-year-old Ethan is the proud older brother of the currently unnamed baby.
“Just last night I was watching the fireworks and out having fun, and now I’m holding our baby,” said Gabayan. “It’s amazing.”
“I think he was just so excited to see the world,” said Ong.
Gabayan and Ong’s child is the first baby born to Niagara Health of the year. At the time of the press release, Jan. 1 had seen the birth of three babies within the Niagara Health system.
