Odessa Regional Medical Center (ORMC) is proud to share that the first baby of the New Year at ORMC was born at 4:48 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2021. The baby girl named Ava was 6 pounds and 19 inches long. Ava’s parents are Carla Mendez and Shawon Parker.

Ava was also the first recipient of the 2021 POWER Bag, an initiative that began last year to provide resources and tools to encourage new parents to frequently read, speak and interact with their babies beginning at birth. The contents of the 2021 POWER bag include a CDC Milestone Moments Baby Booklet, a POWER Brochure, POWER Tip Sheet, Baby’s Busy Day Book, Scholastic Baby Book, POWER Magnet, Power Toy Keys, and articles on brain development and the importance of reading to your child. For more information on POWER, visit www.powerbag.org.

“ORMC and Steward Health Care are proud to partner with the Education Partnership of the Permian Basin other community sponsors on this POWER initiative,” said Stacey Brown, President of Odessa Regional Medical Center. “It is incumbent upon us help educate new parents on the importance of constant communication with their new baby from day one all the way through their childhood.”