Huron Expositor, 2017-01-25, Page 15Wednesday, January 25, 2017 • Huron Expositor 15
AMGH's first baby of 2017 comes with many surprises
Darryl Coote
Postmedia Network
Alexandria & Marine Gen-
eral Hospital (AMGII)'s first
baby of 2017 came with a
slew of surprises.
On Jan. 6, 2017, at 8: 53 p.m.
1 ienricus "1 Ienry" David Van
Dieten was born at 7lbs 7oz
and 2linches long to proud
parents Amanda and Mark
Van Dieten.
However, the little guy
was expected to be born
Dec. 27.
"And we thought that all
the way up to five days
before our due date," said
Amanda over the phone to
The Signal Star. "And then
my midwife said it was over
looked and it was actually
January 8, so we went from
2016 baby to 2017 baby."
The biggest surprise,
though, did occur until
moments after his birth.
Back when they had the
baby sexed, the parents, who
live just outside of Seaforth,
were told to expect a girl --
which they did.
That is until he was born.
"My husband and I were
just saying '()h, our baby -girl,
our baby girl!' and the mid-
wife said, 'Oh, we haven't
checked yet,' and they
checked and to our sur-
prised we looked at each
other and said, 'it's a boy!' "
said Amanda.
And henry left the hospi-
tal in his 17 -month-old sis-
ter's onesie and pink socks.
"Because we were just
going to use all his sister's
clothes so everything was
pretty much pink," she said.
However, Amanda said
she and her husband are
pretty easy going and while
the shock of having a baby
boy when for months one
was expecting a girl might
have been strong for others,
they just laughed it off.
"Mark and I just laughed
when the due date was
changed and we kind of just
laughed when it came out a
boy. Honestly, we wouldn't
change it for the world;' she
said.
As the first birth at the
hospital, stores in the com-
munity had donated items to
the family such as gift cards,
food, flowers and baby stuff.
Submitted
The happy parents Mark and Amanda Van Dieten holding their
newborn baby boy Henricus "Henry" David Van Dieten, who was born
on Jan. 6.
She said she appreciates
all the gifts and that to
proves true the saying that it
takes a village to raise a
child.
"He's had quite the life
already," she laughed. "First
it was one due date right
until the end and then it was
changed right away and then
he was supposed to be a girl
and he was a boy and then
he ended up being the first
baby of the year."
Council questions staff's recommendation to not build
helipad asking for more information, deferring decision
Darryl Coote
Postmedia Network
Going against the sugges-
tion of staff, Goderich coun-
cil has asked for further
information and more time
on whether it should build a
helipad north of the Mait-
land Valley Medical Centre.
In late November 2016, Dr.
Paul Gill made a presenta-
tion to council asking for its
support to build a helipad
near the local hospital. He
said having a helipad close
the Alexandria & Marine.
General would save time
and resources during an
emergency.
Council then asked staff
for more information.
That information came
back to council Jan. 9 with
staff firmly against building
the helipad as the land could
be better used for future
facilities. The helipad could
also pose issues with neigh-
bours, the report said.
"It's clean, clean from an
environmental point of view,
clean for future develop....
So the recommendation is
that it not be used for a heli -
pad," said Goderich CAO
Larry McCabe.
However, many on council
were reticent to squelch the
idea, asking for exact costs to
build the helipad.
Councillor Myles Mur-
dock, who also asked for the
figures, said it seemed like all
of council was on board with
the idea following Gill's pres-
entation late last year, and
that the helipad would aid in
making the Goderich hospi-
tal a "centre of healthcare
excellence."
"It was mentioned in
[staff's report] that you'd like
to keep [the land] free for
complimentary medical ser-
vices, and to me this seems
like a complimentary medi-
cal service if I've ever saw
one," he said suggesting that
they go with the helipad on
an "interim basis and see
how it works."
"I definitely won't support
not gathering more informa-
tion on it and I definitely
won't support forgetting
about it," he concluded.
McCabe replied that staff
saw a figure of about $50,000
for the installation but it
would be much more than
that because of maintenance.
Staff sees the land could
be better used for expansion
of the hospital or buildings,
he said, adding that council
can't put in a helipad tempo-
rarily as the town's plans
don't allow it.
"You either do it probably
or you don't do it. It is very
valuable land. I think the
report would have been dif-
ferent if the land not been
environmentally cleared,
which it is. It is in our view -
valued land. This isn't the
purpose of what it should
do," he said.
Ultimately, it's council's deci-
sion, he said, but it's not what
staff would recommend.
"What happens once
you've done it but what hap-
pens if down the road you
want to do something else?"
he asked council.
However, members of
council, such as Councillor
Matt Hoy, didn't want to say
no to the idea.
"I fully trust the recom-
mendations of the town but I
guess I'm wondering ... I
wouldn't mind some num-
bers about what it would
actually be," he said, adding,
"I don't want to put it to bed
Submitted
An aerial image of the
Alexandra Marine & General
Hospital and the proposed
location for the helipad.
either."
McCabe said council
could defer making the deci-
sion to another meeting, but
staff's opinion won't change.
He also said what role would
exact figures play in council's
decision making; if council
wants to a helipad it will
have a helipad, and it
doesn't matter how much it
will cost.
"You have to make a deci-
sion if that's what that land is
going to be used for," he said.
Council then voted to
defer the decision to a future
meeting once staff obtains
more information.
Amanda and Mark Van Dieten pose for a photo with their two
children, 17 -month-old Isla and newborn Henry.
www.movielinks.ca lor.g d s:aice'1 -800-265-3438
ATTENTION READERS
Take advantage of our pricing for
HAPPY NOTES
Includes: Birthdays, Anniversaries
Weddings, Engagements, Graduations etc.
HAPPY ► ' THDAY
(Name Person)
(Date)
Love
Mom & Dad
only
$23.80
H.S.T.plus
J
Actual Size: Pre -Payment is Required
Just bring in your photo & write-up and well do the rest.
Other Sizes & Prices available upon request.
urnn
•
8 Main Street
rSeaforth, ON
(519) 527-0240
nancy.degans@sunmedia.ca