 | E-mail this story |  | Write letter to editor |  | Order a classified ad |  Print this page |
| | E-mail this story | | Write letter to editor | | Order a classified ad | Print this page |
|
Nunavut's new arrival
Darrell Greer
Maxine Lillian Qamukkaak Ronald was born to proud parents Mark Ronald and Kelly Graham at 24 minutes past midnight on New Year's Day at the Rankin Inlet Regional Health Centre.
Maxine was in a hurry to enter the world, as Graham was not due to give birth until Jan. 20. She says not knowing where she was going to have the baby in the hours leading up to the birth were hard on her nerves. "The thought of not having our baby in Rankin was very stressful," says Graham. "I was quite relieved when we were finally told we were going to have the baby right here. "I was starting to have some pretty serious contractions by that time, so it was good to know they weren't going to put me on a plane." Ronald says he's bursting with pride over his new daughter and adapting to fatherhood quite nicely. He says staff members at the health centre were buzzing with excitement at the prospect of having the first baby of the year in Nunavut. "The best thing I heard all year was when the flight nurse told us we weren't going anywhere and Kelly was going to have the baby in Rankin," says Ronald. "I could relax a little bit then because I knew Kelly wouldn't have to endure a plane ride at that point. The way people pulled together that night was incredible, as was the support we received. The staff members were totally professional in every way."
Graham also speaks highly of the care she received while giving birth in Rankin. She says she couldn't have asked for a better team to help her with the delivery. "Everyone pulled together very quickly and they took excellent care of us. All the staff members were very kind to us and our friends, Helen Iguptuk and Lucy Makkigak, came into the delivery room with us. "All three of us appreciate their support very much."
|
