Angelica Cambero expected to have her son, Sammer, on Christmas Eve.
"That's not how it was," she told us in Spanish.
Some unexpected complications arose, so doctors pushed the birth back. The situation worried her a bit, but her fears washed away in the early hours of Jan. 1, 2025, when Sammer finally arrived. He was born at 1:49 a.m., making him Denver Health's first delivery of the new year.
"Thanks to the great work of the hospital's medical team and nurses, my baby and I were doing very well," she said. "They guaranteed the safety of my life and that of my son."
The auspicious timing brought celebrations and reporters into Cambero's hospital room. As she laid in bed with tiny Sammer resting in her arms, it was clear she relished the extra warm welcome for her son.
"I didn't expect this great situation, this great blessing, at all" she said. "For me it is a pleasure. An honor. I feel very happy."
They were showered with gifts upon Sammer's arrival.
Denver Health gave Cambero's family 2,025 diapers to celebrate the occasion — enough to last at least a half a year.
While the quantity was special, that gift was part of a larger effort to support families at Denver Health, a 21-year-old program called Newborns in Need.
Sharon Mushkin, who coordinates the program, said the donated diapers, wipes, hats, socks and blankets are always appreciated.
"The majority of our families could use a little assistance, and so this really helps them," she said. "We know that these little babies are very expensive and we just want to give them a little help and a start, so that some of our families don't have to make a decision between fresh vegetables or diapers."
Denver Health handled 3,800 births last year, she added, a record that meant the program needed about $50,000 in donated supplies to keep up.
"This year, it looks like we're going to exceed 4,300 births," she said.
It's a trend that bucks a decade of falling birthrates in Denver and Colorado. Dane Roper, a Denver Health spokesperson, said nobody was around Wednesday to help us square those two trajectories, but we'll write a follow-up story if we learn more.
Cambero is excited for 2025, and beyond.
Sammer is her and her husband's first child. She kissed his head, covered in a knit cap, as he stretched his fingers and wriggled in her arms.
"I am going to remind him that he was always a very desired, very blessed child," she said.
She’s excited to bring up a kid who’s responsible, honest and a good citizen — and who will always have fireworks for his birthday.
"The New Year," she said, "will always be for him."
