Virden Welcomes First Baby of 2026: Healthy Girl Born at 1:16 AM

UPDATE: Virden has joyfully welcomed its first baby of 2026! A healthy girl, Brielle Eva Henry, was born at 1:16 AM on January 1 at the Brandon Regional Health Centre. Parents Kendra Henry and Aaron Dayton are thrilled to expand their family, providing a playmate for their two-year-old daughter, Chloe.

Brielle arrived weighing nearly 8 pounds, 13 ounces and measuring 21.75 inches long. Her mother expressed delight at the timing, saying, “I’m pretty happy — gives her someone to play with,” while cradling her newborn.

The couple decided to make the trip to the hospital on New Year’s Eve, leaving their Virden home around 9 AM. They aimed to beat the slippery roads that developed later that evening. “Everybody kept telling me to wait for midnight to have the first baby,” Kendra said. “But I don’t have control over that; it just happened to work out that way.”

The naming process for their daughter took some thought. “Just kind of picked a bunch of names we liked and narrowed it down till we came to a couple that made sense,” Aaron explained. Unlike their firstborn, Chloe, who received traditional hand-me-down names, this choice was “clear” for their new addition.

The arrival of Brielle means a shift for the family dynamic, with Aaron joking that it “will be a lot more crazy in the house.” They plan for Chloe to visit her baby sister later today, marking a new chapter in their lives.

In celebration of Brielle’s birth, the family received a thoughtful gift basket from the health centre, filled with stuffed animals, toys, a baby outfit, a book, picture frames, spoons, and a bouquet of flowers from Carolyn’s Floral Designs.

This heartwarming event not only marks a milestone for the Henry-Dayton family but also highlights the joy surrounding new beginnings as the community embraces the first baby of the year. Stay tuned for more updates as the family settles into their new routine and shares this exciting journey.