Baby Born on Maine Island the First Island Birth in More Than 90 Years
Isleford, also known as Little Cranberry Island, is part of a collection of five islands off the coast of Maine, according to sfgate.com. The town has fewer than 150 people so I would consider that pretty remote.
Erin Fernald Gray had her sixth child, Azalea Belle Gray, in a home birth on the Island on September 26, according to the website. The Grays has two of their children born at the mainland hospital and three others were born at a family home on Mount Desert Island, the report stated.
Again, the toughness of New Englanders never fails to surprise me. I can’t imagine a home birth, but then again, I am a guy so I was pretty amazed at the birth of all of my children and grateful they were born in a hospital because I could just wait in a hallway while everyone else did the hard work. Except for the last child, my wife insisted I be in the room and I am grateful I was but still, childbirth is rough business!
It wasn’t until Azalea Belle Gray was born that her Mom, Erin Gray discovered that the last birth on the island was her own grandfather, Warren Fernald, according to sfgate.com, and that means the last baby born on the island was back in 1927.
Erin Fernald Gray had not planned on giving birth at home on the island, SFgate.com reported The Grays has planned to head over to Mount Desert Island to give birth but each went like clockwork with Azalea’s birth, so they stayed at home on Islesford.
I suppose the town’s population has increased to 151 with the birth of little Azalea.
Congratulations to her proud parents.