Bartlett Regional Hospital’s first baby of 2021 has arrived

Bartlett Regional Hospital’s first baby of 2021 was born on January 5 at 7:50 a.m. at the Bartlett Beginnings Birth Center. A daughter was born to parents Alexus Forehand and Kevin McCallister of Skagway. Madelynn Rose joins brother Cameron, 2, and sister Rayelynn, 3. Madelynn weighed 9.4 pounds and measured 21.5 inches.

The family is new to Southeast Alaska, moving here from the state of Georgia in early 2020. Alexus gave Bartlett Beginnings high ratings. “It’s the best hospital I’ve been to,” she said. “The nurses here, anything I needed, they were there to help.”

The family will be the fourth recipient of what has become a Bartlett Beginnings tradition for the first baby of the year: the gift of a handwrought, wooden rocker boat filled with baby clothes, toys and other goodies. It’s a few feet long and big enough for years of playtime. The carpenter is Emergency Department Medical Director Lindy Jones, MD, who in past years delivered babies at Bartlett Beginnings.