Welcome to New Year's Baby of 2026
January 05, 2026
HSHS St. John’s Hospital proudly welcomed Theodore Barker as the first baby born at the hospital and in Springfield in 2026 to Amy Dhabalt-Barker and Matt Barker of Springfield.
He was born at 12:41 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, weighing 8 pounds, 6 ounces and measuring 20 inches long.
HSHS St. John’s Women and Infants Center staff presented Theodore’s parents with a basket of gifts in celebration of his birth as St. John’s 2026 New Year’s Baby.
For others expecting in 2026, the care team encourages moms-to-be to contact St. John’s to schedule a tour and to sign up for birthing classes.
As a Level III Perinatal Center, St. John's offers the highest level of care for mothers and babies in south-central Illinois. The Women and Infants Center welcomes more than 2,000 babies every year, and the antenatal unit (located within the Women and Infants Center) is staffed by maternal/fetal medicine specialists 24/7 for expectant mothers who may need extra care during their pregnancy for issues such as pre-term labor or high blood pressure.
For more information about HSHS. St. John’s Women and Infants Center and available classes or tours, visit here.
Photo caption: Amy Dhabalt-Barker and Matt Barker proudly introduce new son Theodore Barker as HSHS St. John’s Hospital’s New Year’s Baby of 2026. Theodore was born at St. John’s at 12:41 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026.
He was born at 12:41 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, weighing 8 pounds, 6 ounces and measuring 20 inches long.
HSHS St. John’s Women and Infants Center staff presented Theodore’s parents with a basket of gifts in celebration of his birth as St. John’s 2026 New Year’s Baby.
For others expecting in 2026, the care team encourages moms-to-be to contact St. John’s to schedule a tour and to sign up for birthing classes.
As a Level III Perinatal Center, St. John's offers the highest level of care for mothers and babies in south-central Illinois. The Women and Infants Center welcomes more than 2,000 babies every year, and the antenatal unit (located within the Women and Infants Center) is staffed by maternal/fetal medicine specialists 24/7 for expectant mothers who may need extra care during their pregnancy for issues such as pre-term labor or high blood pressure.
For more information about HSHS. St. John’s Women and Infants Center and available classes or tours, visit here.
Photo caption: Amy Dhabalt-Barker and Matt Barker proudly introduce new son Theodore Barker as HSHS St. John’s Hospital’s New Year’s Baby of 2026. Theodore was born at St. John’s at 12:41 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026.
Media Contact
Mary Massingale
System Manager, Communications & Public Relations