A New Year's baby for the Williams Lake area was born Thursday, Jan. 2 at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops.
Elaina William and Daniel Allan of Xatsull First Nation welcomed their new daughter Amira at 6:42 a.m.
Amara weighed five pounds and 7.6 ounces and is a younger sister to Reign who will be 10-years-old in February.
William was not due until Jan. 25, but because her pregnancy was considered high-risk for placenta previa - a low lying placenta - she said, she had been in Kamloops since Dec. 27.
"I'd had a few bleeds and they were concerned," she said, adding she was also informed there would be no obstetrician at Cariboo Memorial Hospital from Dec. 27, 2024 at 7 a.m. through to Jan. 6, 2025 7 a.m. "I was told when I was about seven months pregnant that I should expect to be delivering in Kamloops."
A C-section was scheduled for her on Thursday, Jan. 2 at 7:45 a.m. but she went into labour at 1:30 a.m.
"I ended up having her four weeks early, but she's healthy. She's good."
William said the hospital was great.
"There is lots of staff, lots of people to help out."
At the time of a telephone interview from the hospital, Reign was out having dinner with William's brother in Kamloops.
"She's super excited and very helpful too," William said of Reign now having a baby sister.
William and Allan both work at West Fraser Plywood Plant in Williams Lake.
When asked if she wanted to say anything to everyone back home, William responded "Happy New Year."
