WINDSOR TOWNSHIP — Ayden Larbig is only 2 weeks old, but his mother Kayla already knows her son will attend Lake Erie College.
Ayden was the first baby born at the new TriPoint Medical Center in Concord Township, an honor that came with a four-year scholarship to the Painesville college. Lake Health, which owns TriPoint, and the college teamed up for the promotion to mark the opening of the state-of-the art hospital Oct. 21.
“To commemorate the opening of the TriPoint Medical Center and in evidence of our long-term commitment to the community, we’re pleased to offer this academic scholarship to a new child born in Lake County,” said Michael T. Victor, president of Lake Erie College.
The scholarship is valued at between $250,000 and $300,000, accounting for the inflation that will occur in the next 18 years.
“That was a phenomenal gift,” said Debbie Isabella, Kayla’s mother. “Very unexpected. We will do all we can to make sure he’ll be able to use it.”
Kayla gave birth to the baby just two hours and 50 minutes after doors to the new hospital first opened to patients. Her parents drove her to the hospital, and since they knew she couldn’t get in until after 7 a.m., stopped for coffee in Chardon.
“She was like: ‘What are you doing? We got to go,’” said her father, Mike Isabella.
The Isabellas said the new hospital is very convenient for residents of the southwestern corner of the county. From their house on Route 86, it is just a 12-mile drive: a straight shot to Chardon-Windsor Road to the Chardon Square, then north on Route 44 to TriPoint.
That’s about the same distance to UH-Geauga Medical Center. Kayla said her physician is in Mentor, so they decided she would have the baby at TriPoint, which would be opening just about the time of her due date: Oct. 25.
But Ayden had other plans. Kayla started having cramps around 5 a.m., and with it being her first child, she was not sure if it was the real thing. They called the doctor around 6 a.m., and 30 minutes later they were on their way to TriPoint.
By the time her parents stopped for coffee in Chardon, Kayla felt like she was ready to start pushing.
“I didn’t want to have the baby in the back seat of a car,” she said, looking back on her parents’ coffee break.
They arrived at the hospital at 7 a.m. and eight minutes later, Kayla was being attended to by the staff.
“I think they were a little unprepared,” Mike said.
“They weren’t expecting to see someone as soon as the doors opened,” Kayla said.
Kayla was nearly fully dilated by the time she got settled into her room, one of 14 private rooms built around the labor, delivery, recovery and post-partum model.
“The room was really nice,” Kayla said. “It was very quiet, and they left you to your privacy. The nurses were amazing.”
Ayden weighed 7 pounds and was 20 inches long. After two days of enjoying their accommodations, which included a large wide-screen television, mom and baby headed home.
Kayla said they learned about the scholarship a couple of hours after Ayden made his appearance.
“It was a big surprise,” Kayla said.
The experience also gave Kayla some guidance in her own education. She said once things settle down, she’d like to go to college and become a neonatal intensive-care nurse. As for what Ayden will become, Kayla said “whatever his heart desires,” as she admired the snoozing babe in her arms.
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Ashtabula County mom is first to deliver at TriPoint
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