Hazel Grace — a miracle baby for her parents Heather and Adam King of Bellefontaine — also marked a special milestone at Mary Rutan Hospital’s Family Birth Center the morning of Monday, Jan. 2,* with her arrival marking the hospital’s first newborn of 2023.
The 7 lb. 9.9 oz., 19-long little girl was delivered at 8:03 a.m. via a scheduled Caesarean section at 37 weeks, two days. Her mother said one week ago at her doctor’s appointment, Mrs. King was found to have high blood pressure, so her C-section was moved up from its previously scheduled date of Jan. 16.
The lifelong city resident said her nurse had mentioned to her that her little one might just be the first baby of the New Year.
“I hadn’t even thought about that,” Mrs. King said Monday night* while cradling Hazel, who was enjoying some well-deserved slumber after her big day. “We’re so excited. We’re very blessed that she is here, and that she is doing great.”
Mrs. King related that from a young age, she had been told by her doctors that she likely would not be able to have children after she was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome and also endometriosis.
The 2001 Bellefontaine High School graduate said she has undergone three surgeries related to those conditions, including one that removed part of her ovaries.
“I was told that I had a 25 percent chance of having kids, before I had my daughter Thea (age 3). Now after my most recent surgery, I didn’t think there was any chance we’d have more kids, but now we have our beautiful Hazel.
“Thea and Hazel are both my miracle babies,” she said of her two daughters.
The newborn makes five children for Mr. and Mrs. King, who also are parents to Mr. King’s three children, Kyle Caroll, Mary Tittle and Able King.
Thea and Kyle, age 17, already had been to visit their little sister on Tuesday.
“Thea wanted to see her for about a minute, but Kyle couldn’t get enough of her and held her for an hour or more,” Mr. King said with a chuckle.
The couple have been married for four years, after meeting about six years ago via the online dating site, Plenty of Fish.
“That was one of the best decisions I’ve made,” Mrs. King said about signing for the website, where she connected with her husband, who previously lived in Indiana.
Maternal grandparents of Hazel are Randy and Janet Martindell of Bellefontaine and paternal grandparents are Steve and Susan Anderson of New Lexington.
Mary Rutan Hospital provided a basket of gifts for the New Year’s Baby and her family.
* Editor’s note: The article has been corrected to fix a previous incorrect date for baby Hazel’s arrival.