Skip to content

City claims two New Year’s babies

Salmon Arm can boast about not one, but two New Year’s babies for 2016.
51051salmonarmNewYearsbabies
Bundles of joy: (Left) Kessa Arishenkoff and Paul Regnier hold baby Jax Robert Rick Regnier

Salmon Arm can boast about not one, but two New Year’s babies for 2016.

The first tyke was the first-born at the Vernon Jubilee Hospital, but his parents hail from Salmon Arm. The second was the first baby born within city limits at Shuswap Lake General Hospital.

For Fay and Nathan Koss having the New Year’s Baby wasn’t on their radar.

The couple from Salmon Arm were sent to Vernon Jubilee Hospital after Fay’s high blood pressure caused some complications.

“It was funny, friends were joking about me trying for the New Year’s Baby and I didn’t know what the big deal was – I just wanted to have a happy, healthy baby,” said Fay.

Her hopes came true  after a difficult birth; Eliot Steven Koss was born at 3:37 p.m. New Year’s Day.

Weighing in at six pounds, 15 ounces, their first child is happy and healthy.

“He has been perfect; he hasn’t caused much of a fuss at all,” said Fay while cradling her newborn son.

Being the New Year’s Baby at Vernon Jubilee Hospital comes with some serious perks thanks to the Vernon Jubilee Hospital Auxiliary and local businesses.

The new parents Fay and Nathan were surprised by all the gifts.

With her parents living in England and her in-laws in Sorrento, they are thankful for all the help and support they have received from the Vernon Jubilee Hospital staff.

“We have been in great hands here and we can’t thank the staff enough,” said Fay. “I can’t imagine doing this anywhere else.”

Salmon Arm’s newest Canucks fan arrived at Shuswap Lake General Hospital a few days later at 6:37 p.m. Monday, Jan. 4.

Jax Robert Rick Regnier weighed in at six pounds, five ounces.

Mom Kessa Arishenkoff called the couple’s first child cute and handsome with a perfect complexion.

“And the biggest Canucks fan,” interjected dad Paul Regnier.

“We already have a picture of him in his Canucks jersey,” laughs Kessa, who calls her newborn son perfect.

While everything went very smoothly, Kessa is recovering from the Caesarian delivery.

“I was very shocked to find out Jax was the New Year’s baby and a little bit lost for words,” said Kessa, who notes she and Paul will have lots of support from their moms and assorted other relatives when they return to their home in Canoe.

-With files from Lisa VanderVelde, Vernon Morning Star.