Only four hours into 2016, a new Agassiz face was brought into the world.
At 4:15 a.m. on New Year’s Day, Cohen Elijah Allan Roth was born to local residents Taylor and Madison Roth at Abbotsford regional hospital, receiving gifts for being the first baby in that facility’s new year.
“It’s been a long couple of days, but we’re doing good,” said Taylor, adding that the new mother was doing well in her recovery. “We’re just really happy to be home… It’s good to be settled into your own home doing your own things your own way.”
Little Cohen joined the expected 44,000 babies to be born in British Columbia in 2016.
But he was reluctant to come out even beyond his due date, and Madison required a C-section after an induced labour was unsuccessful.
By staying put inside his mother’s womb, the Roths’ first child came after some bad news his grandfather received at the end of 2015.
“My husband [Allan] has just found out that he has pancreatic and liver cancer,” said Taylor’s mother Norine Roth. “So this was our little bright piece of sunshine.”
Once the new parents knew of the diagnosis, it was a “no-brainer” to add grandpa’s name to baby Cohen’s new identity, Taylor said.
“We’re very honoured to include his name in there,” he added.
As for the status of being first born of the year Taylor shies away from the spotlight, acknowledging a baby that was born at the Abbotsford hospital a mere minute before 2015 came to a close.
“It’s nice but I’m sure there are a lot of people who had a baby delivered in this week, so it’s just as important for them,” he said.
As for the Roths, their new bright piece of sunshine comes at a time when they needed some good news.
“It’s a great way to start 2016 because the end of 2015 wasn’t the best given dad’s health.”
