By Betsy Avelar
Gilroy
– Two families have twice as much to be thankful for this
week.
Gilroy – Two families have twice as much to be thankful for this week.
Within a 12-hour period, Dr. Diane Sanchez delivered two sets of twins at Saint Louise Regional Hospital. The first to give birth was a San Juan Bautista woman at 5:36am Monday; the second a Morgan Hill woman at 5:20pm the same day.
“They are my Thanksgiving gift,” said San Juan Bautista resident Rosa Lara, 28, while holding her twin sons, Eduardo and Adrian, one on each arm.
After nine years, Lara and her husband, Natanael Manriquez, didn’t plan on twins. “We only planned for one, but God gave us two,” she said. Lara said twins run in her father’s family.
While Lara’s babies slept, in the next room Christina Iboa, 28, held her babies, a boy and a girl, with her husband, Oscar Zuniga, 28. The couple had yet to decide on names for their newborns.
“I hope they grow up to be good leaders in the community,” said Zuniga, beaming proudly.
In one day, they went from three children to five. Their eldest is 9.
“They will be the diaper changing crew,” said Zuniga while holding his baby daughter.
Lara was the first Gardner Family Health Center patient to deliver a baby at Saint Louise. The Gardner Center recently opened in downtown Gilroy after years of operation at Sixth and Princevalle streets. Gardner is considered a “safety net” health care provider, serving the low-income, Hispanic population.
Gardner patients used to have to travel to Valley Medical center in San Jose to give birth.
“Now Dr. Sanchez is here, and she could see them for prenatal care, and deliver them at Saint Louise Regional Hospital,” said Vivian Smith, vice president of public relations of the hospital.
The two families now share a similar fate.
“I will be changing diapers this Thanksgiving,” said Iboa.
Betsy Avelar attends Gavilan College and is an intern for the South Valley Newspapers. Reach her at (408) 847-7216 or ba*****@gi************.com.
