Luis Gutierrez, Ana Elena Gutierrez-Tavares, Mateo Gutierrez, and Ana’s cousin Elizabeth Marin, (L. to R.), who was on the team that delivered the baby.
Provided by Northwell Health
Long Island Jewish Medical Center welcomed Mateo Gutierrez at 2:30 a.m. on Jan. 1, making him the center’s first baby of 2026.
Parents Ana Elena Gutierrez-Tavares and Luis Gutierrez welcomed their firstborn, with the help of Ana’s cousin Elizabeth Marin, who worked as a delivery nurse on the Gutierrez’s team.
At Huntington Hospital, Nova Sherred was born to Sanari Sherred and Michael Harrison at 3:53 a.m. The baby boy weighed six pounds, one ounce at birth and measured 19 inches.
“It was really exciting, it was fun,” said Jackie Barrera, a nurse on the Huntington labor and delivery team. “All the nurses wore hats that said ‘Happy New Year’ when we went in for the delivery.”
Huntington had a busy night for labor and delivery, according to Erica Giordano, charge nurse on the floor on New Year’s Eve. She said that one nurse from the team even made a onesie for the first baby of the year.
“It was her first baby, and she was making slow and steady progress; we were really cheering her on,” said Giordano, about the mother of the year’s first baby. “It was a picture-perfect delivery for our first baby of the year.
North Shore University Hospital welcomed Rocky Cocchiarella, a six-pound 13-ounce baby girl, at 1:55 a.m. Parents Bailey Perry and Dante Cocchiarella, of Sea Cliff, called her their New Year’s Miracle.
“I feel good. It’s baby No. 1,” Perry said. “We didn’t know if it was going to be a boy or a girl, and it just felt so fitting because I was born at North Shore. So, it was just really amazing and incredible on New Year’s to have this full circle moment.”
Brightwater residents Leah Fernandes and Andrew Tartaglia welcomed their second child, a baby girl, at 4:01 a.m.
Northwell said that about 30,000 babies are born at its hospitals each year.
“Welcoming these newborns and supporting their families through such profound moments is a privilege that truly encapsulates the spirit of new beginnings and Northwell’s unwavering commitment to health and community,” said Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology for Long Island Jewish Medical Center Kevin Holcomb. “We extend our warmest congratulations to all the parents embarking on this exciting new chapter.”
Newborn Nova Sherred was Northwell’s Huntington Hospital’s first baby born in 2026.Provided by Gaga Photos
Mateo Gutierrez was born at 2:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day.J. Cav Scott
Parents Sanari Sherred and Michael Harrison (L. to R.) with their newborn on New Year’s Day.Provided by Gaga Photos