Jan 4, 2021 2 min read Announcements

New York City’s First Born of the Year A Brooklyn Boy

Ivett Rodriguez with son Jaxel, born at midnight on January 1st. Photo by NYC Health + Hospitals.

New York City’s first baby of the year was delivered at Brooklyn’s NYC Health and Hospitals in Coney Island, bringing the borough new blessings after a long and trying 2020.

Jaxel Rodriguez was born right as the clock struck midnight on January 1st. He is the third son to his parents, Ivett Rodriguez and Antonio Guilbert, who are longtime residents of Brooklyn. At 6 pounds and 11.9 ounces, he is a healthy baby boy.

Baby boy Jaxel Rodriguez, the first baby born in NYC this year. Photo by NYC Health + Hospitals.

Announcements of the first births of the year are eagerly anticipated by residents of the city, as they are considered symbolic of good fortune and hope in the months to come. This is especially true for 2021, a year to replace loss and hardship.

The labor staff that helped deliver Jaxel Rodriguez, Jan. 1st. Photo by NYC Health + Hospitals.

The arrival of Jaxel also offered a glimmer of hope to the hospital staff, who after months of working amidst a pandemic, were elated to help deliver the city’s first newborn.

Jaxel and his family are currently back home, safe. His parents have expressed much gratitude for their healthy baby boy and for starting off the year with “the best gift” it could possibly give them. Certainly, the rest of Brooklyn feels the same way.