Two babies get to share their birthday with the nation as the Princess Margaret Hospital yesterday awarded the first boy and girl born on Independence Day.
The babies were welcomed by the Cookie Collection, a non-profit organization founded by the hospital’s board of directors’ member Sharon Johnson.
Mrs. Johnson said she’s been doing this for about eight years.
“I’ve seen many mothers come through the hospital with a desperate need for supplies. So, I decided to give back because I know what it is to be a mother and I want to see those babies get the best of whatever I can afford for them,” she said.
“Seeing the smile on their face gives me a good feeling.”
Baby boy Ja’niy Darling, who weighs seven pounds, and baby girl Sanae Hepburn, who weighs six pounds and four ounces, went home yesterday with two boxes of pampers, clothing, blankets, a waterproof bib, a fork and spoon, and a brand new car seat.
First time mother Symphony Charlton said, “This is really a surprise. This is a nice gesture. I never knew that the hospital did something like this.”
Thirty-seven-year-old Shonell Hepburn, beaming from ear to ear, said, “This is a privilege and a blessing. I didn’t expect it. We were pulling for her [Sanae Hepburn] to come on the 9th, which is her father’s birthday, but she came on the 10th.”
“She is also our rainbow baby. She is the first after three miscarriages,” Mrs. Hepburn added.
The other mothers on the ward received smaller packages as a token of appreciation.
Mrs. Johnson, who’s also a mother and grandmother, said one day she hopes to offer more donations on a larger scale.
