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Graphic designer Jonathan Ady welcomes baby boy right before Florence

When disaster strikes, Chanticleers have each other's backs. When a baby is on the way? Even more so.

Jonathan Ady, graphic designer within the University Communication office, and his wife, Kimberley Ady, welcomed their new baby boy, Evan Sanders Ady, on Sept. 12 at 10:28 a.m. Evan was born at the Conway Medical Center the day before Hurricane Florence was predicted to make landfall. 

Kimberley's due date was Sept. 11, but with the storm approaching quickly, the Adys either had to make a decision to evacuate and hope for the best, or take the last scheduled appointment at the hospital that day for Kimberley to be induced. The Adys chose to stay, leaving their oldest son with Kimberley's mother and father. The day the storm was scheduled to hit, the family traveled back to Conway so everyone was together during this special time.

The Conway Medical Center was slammed, taking patients in from all over. Jonathan recalls having different nurses for each room visit, as many were called to other emergencies. The staff hunkered down at the hospital for the duration of the storm, sleeping on cots and never missing a beat despite the circumstances. Jonathan describes the hospital environment as "perfectly calm while under a lot of pressure." Kimberley's regular doctor evacuated, leaving the Adys to be assigned to several new doctors to deliver baby Evan. 

Through this tense time, Jonathan's co-worker Ron Walker, graphic artist for University Communication, opened his nearby home to the entire family. This allowed the Adys to make a quick transition from the hospital to the Walkers' home in a matter of minutes as the storm made landfall.

After a short drive with a two-day-old baby, the Adys were made to feel right at home. The house did lose power, however, which caused concern about the loss of air conditioning for the baby. In Chanticleer fashion, Ron ran an intravertor from his car to the house, which allowed a single fan to create air circulation all evening. 

While this experience was nothing short of a challenge, baby Evan will have a story to tell for the rest of his life. While reminicising on the turn of events, Jonathan says the experience was "beautiful while everything seemed to be going wrong." 

Congratulations to the Ady family!

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