Newborn’s early arrival heartens family prior to father’s surgery
One of Logan County’s newest residents, Brandan Lee Berry Jr., was born Sunday afternoon about a month before his due date of Feb. 4, and was met with special fanfare as Mary Rutan Hospital’s first baby of the New Year.
While small in size at 4 lbs. 3 oz and 16 1/2 inches long, Brandan is healthy and doing well, the best gift any parent could ask for, his mother, Crystal Berry said Monday.
In addition to the first baby of 2021 honors, Mrs. Berry and her husband, Brandan Berry Sr. of Bellefontaine said the circumstances and early arrival of their son who shares his dad’s namesake is particularly miraculous for their family, as the newborn’s father is currently undergoing treatment for stage three testicular cancer.
The couple, who also are parents to an 11-year-old son and daughters ages 6 and 7, found out about the pregnancy shortly before Mr. Berry was diagnosed with cancer last year.
“The pregnancy and thoughts of our baby provided us with happiness and hope in the midst of dealing with the cancer diagnosis and treatments,” Mrs. Berry said. “It also was nothing short of a miracle that we were given the chance to have this baby, right before we were told that Brandon’s upcoming chemotherapy would make it very difficult, if not impossible, for us to conceive again.”
DeGraff native Mr. Berry has undergone 12 weeks of chemotherapy, and now has abdominal and chest surgery coming up at the OSU Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. A surgical consult is planned for Jan. 21, and Mrs. Berry related that previously with her February due date, the family was concerned that the baby could come around the same time of her husband’s medical procedure.
“We’re so grateful that we no longer have those worries. This was another miracle that he came about a month early, so that his dad was able to be here and now can spend time with the baby before the surgery,” said Mrs. Berry, a native of Marysville, who said her last child came about two weeks early.
“It totally was a complete surprise that Brandan came so early — we definitely weren’t expecting that. Even on Sunday, I wasn’t even totally sure that I was in labor.”
The newborn’s mother said she labored for about 12 hours at home, at times wondering if maybe she was just a little dehydrated and not in true labor, before being admitted to Mary Rutan Hospital at 1 p.m. Her baby made his quick arrival a short time later at 1:56 p.m.
The city residents are preparing to head home with Brandan, who will be greeted by his excited siblings Tiler, 11; Alayna, 7; and Adalynn, 6.
“They are just going to love him,” Mrs. Berry said.
Mr. and Mrs. Berry, who have been married for five years, met when they were neighbors of Marysville.
Grandparents of the new arrival include Ronald Berry and Amy Love of DeGraff; Krista and Steven Dague of Marysville; and Cynthia and Duane Mitchell of Bellefontaine.