Augusta Health in Fishersville didn’t have to wait long to welcome the first baby of 2026, 22 minutes to be exact.
The first baby of 2026, Thomas Michael, was born Jan. 1 at 12:22 a.m. and weighed 8 pounds, 12 ounces and measured 21.25 inches.
The boy is the second child of a Stuarts Draft couple, Katelyn and Alex. His middle name honors his late great-grandfather.
The delivering provider was Betsy Simms and nursing care was provided by Mary Frazier, Erin Schumacher and Anita Kudlyuk.
The hospital reports that both the mother and son “are doing wonderfully.”
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