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First newborn of 2017 is a boy
Staff of the Commonwealth Health Center and representatives of Marianas Pacific Distributors Inc. pose for a picture with the first newborn baby of 2017. From left to right: Arienne Pandi RN, Marpac representatives Frank Mettao and Shirley Santos, family of the 2017 baby, April Liske-Clark RN, Edna Abantao RN, nursing supervisor Joy Oblea RN, Mary Ann Acido RN, and Jennifer Demapan RN. (Erwin Encinares)
A healthy baby boy born to Bangladeshi parents in the wee hours of Jan. 1, 2017 is the CNMI’s first baby born in 2017.
The still unnamed baby boy was delivered at the Commonwealth Health Center at exactly 4am.
The proud father, Mokhtar Ali Bapariy, was able to string together his emotions with a few words. “I am very happy and proud,” he said, while looking at the newborn that was wailing his lungs out.
The baby weighed 7 lbs and 7.9 ounces.
Being the first baby of the year, Marianas Pacific Distributors Inc., or Marpac, donated supplies for the first baby of the year.
According to Marpac representatives Shirley Santos and Frank Mettao, the couple was given newborn diapers, baby wipes, overnight pads, and baby formula to get the happy family started with the year.
Bapariy is a farmer from Rota and resides on the island with his wife, 6-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son. He works for his brother on Rota.
About an hour and a half later, the second newborn of 2017 was born. Chinese tourist Liu Zi Mo, accompanied by her own mother, named the newborn baby boy Daniel Liu.
Liu follows the one-child policy of China, said a translator, which was why she gave birth on Saipan. The baby weighed 7 lbs and 4.8 ounces and his birth concluded the first few newborn babies of the first eight hours of 2017.
