'Very memorable': Toronto hospitals welcome first babies of 2021

Baby Jacob is seen in this photograph with parents Nota Flokiotis (mother) and Moneer Sahar (father). (Trillium Health Partners)

TORONTO — Toronto hospitals welcomed the first babies of 2021 early Friday morning, with the very first child coming into the world just 48 seconds after the clock struck midnight.

Baby Thomas is believed to have been Toronto’s first baby of 2021 and spent most of New Year’s Day morning sleeping, according to his parents.

Humber River Hospital shared news of the birth on Twitter, saying Thomas was born at 12:00:48 a.m., and weighed about 6.8 pounds.

“Congratulations to the whole family on the arrival of their bundle of joy,” the hospital said. “Everyone is healthy and extremely happy.”

Parents Thuy Vu and Patrick Simmons told CP24 that Thomas’ birth has been the highlight of all their collective New Years.

“Very memorable,” Simmons said. “We’re both tired and he’s tired too.”

It was close competition for the title of first GTA baby born in 2021. The runner up, Abygail Gosselin, was just 11 seconds away.

“Originally due on December 28, Abygail decided to make her entrance at 12:00:59 a.m. on Jan 1, 2021,” Markham Stouffville Hospital said on social media.

North York General said that their first baby of the year was Kiaan Arora, born at 12:13 a.m., while Mount Sinai welcomed their first bundle of joy five minutes later.

Trillium Health Partners, a hospital system that serves certain areas of the GTA, said their first baby arrived at 12:19 a.m., weighing about 9.5 pounds.

“We weren’t expecting to have the first baby of the New Year,” mother Nota Flokiotis said of her newborn Jacob.

“We didn’t even know the gender, so it has been one wonderful surprise after another. We are grateful and excited to start a new chapter.”

It wasn’t just the babies born in the new year that were celebrated by GTA hospitals.

On New Year’s Eve, Sunnybrook Hospital tweeted a photograph of baby Carlisle, who they say spent the last 17 weeks in their neonatal intensive care unit.

“He was born on August 25, 2020 at 23 weeks, weighing just 700 grams,” the hospital said. “We’re excited to share that he’ll be ringing in the New Year at home!”