Aitutaki baby not called Pat!

Aitutaki island’s newest arrival – a beautiful baby girl – will definitely not be called Pat, Patricia or Patty!

Amuri village residents Melelino Vaevae and Quinton Schofield delivered their third child together on Tuesday morning in the car park of the Aitutaki hospital.

News of first baby born on Aitutaki since the island was devastated by cyclone Pat spread all over the community bringing joy to the people who were delighted by the good news.

In fact, the yet to be named baby girl was the talk and pride of the island.

Cook Islands News visited Melelino in Aitutaki hospital on Wednesday as she and her new baby were getting ready to head home.

“We are definitely not going to call baby Pat or Patrica,” said Melelino.

“Everybody is asking us if we are going to name her after the cyclone! I don’t think so!”

Melelino said she went into labour in the early hours of Tuesday morning and by 6am there was a mad panic to get her to the hospital.

As she gingerly got into the passenger’s seat of the family truck, she realised her baby wasn’t going to wait for them to reach the hospital.

But Melelino’s partner Quinton didn’t know what else to do except drive as quickly and safely as he could to the island’s hospital in the next village of Arutanga.

Arriving at the hospital, Quinton said all he knew was that Melelino needed his help and once at her side he helped her deliver their baby girl right there in the truck.

As soon as the doctor confirmed their baby had no complications – the couple were able to laugh at the dramatic style in which their daughter arrived into the world.

The couple even had the New Zealand Army personnel stationed in the maternity ward of the hospital on their toes!

“I’ve shampooed the passenger’s seat of the truck and now it’s cleaner than the rest of the truck,” joked Quinton.

The couple have two sons – Quinton Jnr (3) and Chakyl (1) who were equally excited about their new baby sister.

Melelino says that while they are still deciding on what name to call their baby – she reckons Allana sounds like a great name.

The family thanked their lucky stars for not sustaining any real damage during cyclone Pat and now they are counting their many blessings.