Team effort brings first baby of 2018 in Eau Claire

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — Not many parents have to race across the country to be present at the birth of their baby, but that was exactly the case for Christine Ravago and her husband, Simon Bone, of Severna Park, Maryland, parents of the first baby born at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire in 2018. Ravago and Bone, after years of trying to have a child, connected with first-time surrogate mom Alyssa Johnson of Eau Claire more than a year ago and began a long journey that culminated in the birth of their son, Sterling, at 8:43 a.m. on Jan. 1.

Baby Sterling’s timeline was pushed up a bit from his due date of Jan. 21, when high blood pressure concerns caused Johnson to come in to deliver early by cesarean section. When Ravago got the word that Sterling was coming early, she hopped on a plane, arriving at the hospital around 3:30 a.m. Her husband set out to make the trip by car.

“The timing wasn’t planned, so I was a bit frazzled,” Ravago says. “I caught the last plane out and it was delayed. I was anxious and excited at the same time.” In Eau Claire, Johnson was hoping the timing would work out.

“I was hoping we could wait to deliver until at least one of them could get here,” Johnson says. She says she is happy things turned out well and was able to play a part in the happy event. “There just aren’t words,” Johnson says.

Ravago says she is thankful to be holding her beautiful baby boy. She gets emotional when expressing her thanks to Johnson and her husband, Jesse.

“Just the incredible selflessness and sacrifice of the Johnsons, who have three kids at home,” Ravago says. “I’m very happy and excited.”

Press Contact

Dan Lea
e-mail: lea.dan@mayo.edu
phone: 715-838-6405