Five hours into the new year, the community — and one growing local family — welcomed its newest addition.
The first baby to enter the world in 2020 at Lac La Biche’s W. J. Cadzow Hospital was Vaylah Vi Ruby Sparklingeyes. Vaylah was born on January 1 at 5:01 am, to happy parents Vanessa Rose Cardinal and Henry Marvin Sparklingeyes. The newborn is the latest in a large family, as Cardinal, from Beaver Lake, is already a mom five times-over.
Vaylah’s arrival as the hospital’s New Year Baby was a surprise to her parents, who thought their baby would be more of a Christmas present than a New Year delivery.
Vaylah was expected to be born on Christmas Day, Cardinal told the POST on Monday, but the 7 pound, 4 ounce baby girl kept everyone waiting for a few days more.
With five siblings — ranging in age from one to 11 — Cardinal said Vaylah’s name was picked to stand out.
“I have never heard of anyone with that name before, and I wanted it to be as unique as possible,” Cardinal told the POST, adding that she wanted a ‘V’ name to match her oldest daughter. “My older daughter’s name is Vannay, so I wanted to keep the letter V for my girls names.”
Welcome gifts
It’s been a customary tradition in the area that the hospital’s first-born of the new year receives gifts and donations from several of the area’s service clubs. The Lac La Biche Kinsmen Club is expected to present the family with a cheque for $220 and gift baskets from the W. J. Cadzow Ladies Auxiliary are expected.
