'Miracle' daughter wins race of newborns, 2 seconds past midnight

As seen in the Chicago Sun-Times
Published January 1, 2009
By Monifa Thomas

Two seconds into the new year, the Chicago area got its first bundle of joy.

Amaranta Aguilar was born just after midnight at Loyola University Health System in Maywood, apparently making her the area's first newborn.
The race for that title was photo-finish close: Another baby girl was born three seconds after midnight at Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital.
Amaranta's due date was Jan. 12.

Yet, the new arrival -- weighing in at 7 pounds, 1 ounce -- has already developed a habit of surprising her parents.

Amaranta's mother, Vianey Salgado, thought she couldn't have any more children with her husband, Josue Aguilar, because of a medical condition. So, Salgado was stunned when she learned she was pregnant with Amaranta, whom she calls her "miracle baby."

The Bensenville couple already have a 7-year-old daughter.

Being born on New Year's Day is just the first of many fortunate things Salgado expects for Amaranta.

"She's going to have a lot of luck in life," Salgado said Thursday.

Marley Gabriella Obregon, born three seconds after midnight, may not have snagged first baby bragging rights. But she doesn't seem too troubled by it, her mother joked.

"She's very mellow," said Marley's mom, Katrina Leonard, of Bolingbrook. "Maybe she didn't need to be first."

Marley is the first child for Leonard and Julian Obregon. She was due Jan. 11.

At 12:01 a.m., another Bolingbrook couple, Barbara and Larry Conway, welcomed their ninth child, Parker James Conway, at Edward Hospital. Then came Dania Cureno, born at 12:05 a.m. at Central DuPage Hospital. Sorrawit Prakobdee made his debut at 12:07 a.m. at Norwegian-American Hospital in Chicago.

Dania and Sorrawit both beat their due dates by at least two weeks.

Dania's mother, Ana Caballero, was watching a TV special on newborns when she started having contractions Wednesday afternoon. She delivered Dania, her first child, by Caesarean section nearly seven hours later.

"Being New Year's Eve, it was a great gift for me and my husband," said Caballero, of West Chicago.