SARASOTA, Fla. – Sarasota Memorial Hospital celebrated the start of a new year, welcoming the first baby of 2021 at 1:39 a.m. on Jan. 1.
Born to new parents Jordan Sawmiller and Quay Mays from Bradenton, Fla., New Year Baby Messiah Mays entered the world at 7 pounds, 12 ounces.
“We knew we might have the first baby of 2021, but we weren’t sure. Then he was born and everyone was just congratulating us and so excited,” Sawmiller said.
The delivery team included Arunachalam Jothivijayarani, MD, and John Abu, MD, along with labor and delivery nurses Katherine Strout and Melissa Tomanski.
SMH’s obstetrics team helped deliver 10 babies on Dec. 31, and delivered 2 babies on the morning of Jan. 1. The last SMH baby born in 2020 was delivered at 10:26 p.m. Dec. 31 – bringing the year’s total of babies welcomed into the world at the hospital to nearly 4,000.
After Mays, Sawmiller, and baby Messiah had a chance to rest and recover, SMH’s Mother-Baby nurses presented them with a special New Year’s baby basket filled with gifts for the new baby.
About Sarasota Memorial Health Care System
Sarasota Memorial Health Care System is a regional referral center offering Southwest Florida’s greatest breadth and depth of care, with more than 900,000 patient visits each year. Its flagship 839-bed, acute-care hospital has been consistently recognized as one of the nation’s best, with superior patient outcomes and comprehensive network of outpatient. SMH is the only hospital in Sarasota County that offers maternity and pediatric care, and this year delivered more nearly 4,000 babies.