Just 11 minutes after the countdown clock ran out in Times Square on Jan. 1, perhaps even while people were still embracing under floating confetti, Fatima Alshawabkeh and Omar Ali Hamdan Alrawashdeh welcomed their son Adam Alshawabkeh to the world — 2024’s first baby at Montefiore’s health system.
The little one — born at Montefiore’s Jack D. Weiler Hospital in the East Bronx — clocked in at 7 pounds, 13.2 ounces and 18.5 inches long, according to the hospital system.
Baby Adam Alshawabkeh’s parents, of Morris Park, were unavailable for interviews this week, according to Montefiore spokesperson Tracy Gurrisi. But Gurrisi said she hears “they are doing well but are just busy with the new addition” to their family.
She said new life sets the tone for a hopeful new year.
“The New Year’s baby represents hope for the year ahead,” Gurrisi said. “What better way is there to mark a new year than with a bundle of joy who represents positivity and brings a smile to the faces of everyone around them?”
In photos after the baby’s birth, Fatima Alshawabkeh and Omar Ali Hamdan Alrawashdeh are seen smiling with their swaddled newborn in a beanie alongside Montefiore medical staff.
Reach Camille Botello at cbotello@schnepsmedia.com. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
