winds howled and the windows rattled at Health First’s Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne
Hanna-Kay Williams went into labor early Wednesday morning as Hurricane Ian’s severe rain and strong winds marched across Brevard County
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – As the winds howled and the windows rattled at Health First’s Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne, Florida, on Wednesday night, inside the hospital, it was still calm, cool business as usual.
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Patients were tended to, hospital associates and leadership reported in and hunkered down for a long stormy night. And yes, mother nature still found a way to show its ultimate beauty (even in the midst of a hurricane) with a baby’s birth – announced throughout the entire hospital with the soothing melody of “Brahms’ Lullaby.”
Hanna-Kay Williams, her fiancé and along with her mother, drove through the gusty winds and heavy rain to Holmes Regional Medical Center, arriving Wednesday morning at 2 a.m.
“I don’t even remember driving through the storms because I was in my own mental hurricane,” said Williams, who started feeling contractions the day before.
She explained how after more than 20 hours of labor, an emergency C-section was needed since she wasn’t fully dilated, and the baby started going into distress.
It was a hard and difficult decision for the family, however, it was their faith and family spirit that made them stronger through the procedure, while staying positive during severe weather.
“We came out on top, we definitely did,” Williams said. “I felt when she first arrived and they sat her on my lap, the first thing I said was, ‘that’s a big baby’ and then I looked at her and thought, ‘that’s my twin’ even though I already have a fraternal twin.”
The new mom delivered a healthy baby girl named Wajiha (Wah-gee-ha), Wednesday night at 10:11 p.m., weighing 7 pounds and 13 ounces and measuring at 20 inches.
“Her name means beautiful woman, glorious and she was phenomenal throughout the birthing process,” Williams said.
Both mom and baby are healthy and doing fine. She credits the Holmes Regional nursing staff for creating a warm and welcoming experience despite the dark and gloomy view outside their window.
“Oh my goodness, I would give everyone a gold star, especially my nurse, Melissa, and my primary care physician Dr. Christina Jackson,” Williams said. “They made me feel like everything was going to be fine even through the hardest parts. They gave me so much love and care, and for someone who works in the medical field, I know how important that is for patients.”
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The post Step Aside, Ian – Baby Wajiha’s In Town!: Melbourne Mom Gives Birth During Hurricane, ‘I Just Had to Keep Faith’ appeared first on Space Coast Daily.