'Miracle baby' arrives on New Year's Day

Jan. 1—FARRELL — Mercer County's first birth of the year — born to Sharon residents Nadia McGowan and Josh Richardson Monday — turned out to be a "miracle baby."

That's what Josh's mother, Michelle Karp, called her new grandson, Gideon Richardson.

About 10 years ago, Nadia had cervical cancer and believed that she would be unable to have children. Against all odds, nine months ago Nadia learned she was pregnant and her miracle baby was on the way.

"I was so happy. Someone [Josh] didn't believe me or that it was real. I took like 20 pregnancy tests to make sure it was," Nadia said.

Nadia's parents were just as happy to hear the big news.

"When she told me she was pregnant, my first thought was, 'Yee-haw, I'm going to be a grandmother,'" Cindy McGowan, Nadia's mother, said.

Then, Sunday, about 15 minutes before the ball dropped and a week before her due date, Nadia went into labor.

Josh got her her to UPMC Horizon in Farrell a little past midnight and it was almost time for the baby to arrive.

"I got a text around 1 a.m. and that's when the waiting began. You stand around wondering 'Should I go to bed or should I keep waiting?'. You just want to make sure everything is okay," Nadia's father Chuck McGowan said.

Between 4:30 and 5 a.m., Nadia's labor intensified. After a couple hours and a c-section, Gideon Richardson, one family's miracle baby, was born.

He was born at 8:39 a.m., weighed 7 pounds 9 ounces and was 20 inches long.

"I cried like a big fat baby. Josh wanted to try and be brave and not cry at all. It was so beautiful, not the pain of it all but just hearing his cry. It was amazing," Nadia said. "I am so honored to be his mother."

Josh spent the rest of New Year's Day doing everything he could to make Nadia comfortable. He held the baby a few times, but was shaking and nervous.

Cindy, Chuck and Michelle all headed to the hospital once the baby was born and Nadia was recovering.

"I was surprised this morning. I was concerned when she had to have a c-section, but when she texted me later telling me she was eating crackers, I knew she was alright," Chuck said.

The name Gideon was Josh's idea. It comes from the Bible and means great warrior, though Nadia initially thought it was a reference to Jason Gideon, the character Mandy Patinkin played in the TV show "Criminal Minds."

To celebrate the New Years' baby, the hospital gave the family some swag — a purple hand mirror, 2024 sash and a New Year's t-shirt.

Nadia is recovering and is expected to be released in 2-3 days.