Obstetrics has been a Pennsylvania Hospital specialty since the hospital’s early days, and there have been plenty of eager newborns making early appearances over the years. The first PAH baby was born in 1765 before the Board of Managers even agreed to provide maternity care, and when plans were later finalized to open a “lying-in” ward in May 1803, two more babies opted for early admissions in March and April. And of course, there was the baby born in PAH’s chapel last summer.
When Rhyan Imon Barnes entered the world last month, she continued not only the tradition of early, dramatic arrivals, but also marked another “first” for PAH. Born at 12:03 a.m. on January 1, Rhyan was one of the first babies to be delivered in the Philadelphia area in 2019. More than 5,000 babies are delivered at PAH annually, and the 6-pound, 14-ounce bundle of joy kicked off a new year of a births for the hospital, while also creating a whole new meaning for the holiday for new mom Jeherrah.
She had expected her daughter to be born later in the month, but when her water broke on New Year’s Eve, she realized she was in store for “a really special” celebration — one much more memorable than watching the ball drop, and the best possible way to start 2019. After Rhyan arrived only minutes after midnight, Jeherrah shared the news on Twitter and quickly gained the attention of CBS3 Philly, who visited the glowing new mom and baby on 5 Preston (aptly snuggled up under a “Happy New Year” banner), as well as other families in the area who welcomed New Year’s babies. When it comes to resolutions, Jeherrah has only one priority: “My whole life is changed now for the better, and I just want to try to be the best mom that I can be.”