Family and friends celebrate birth at Lexington hospital in creative way

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – One little bundle of joy arrived to a whole lot of fanfare this afternoon.

Heather, 32, and Brandon Sparks, 33, of Estill County went to CHI Saint Joseph East Hospital in Lexington this morning to have their first child. The high school sweethearts have been together since they were 14.

Because of COVID-19 guidelines, hospital and birthing room access were very limited. Only one of Heather’s sisters who got special certification and Brandon could be in the room.

Since they couldn’t all go in, Heather’s older sister, Barbara Conkright, organized a tailgate party with about a dozen family members and friends from Estill and Clark County in the parking lot while they waited for the arrival. The tailgating began around 5:30 a.m. this morning.

“I said you know what I’m not going to miss my nephew being born,” shared Conkright. “We’re going to be right outside. We’re going ahead and throw a tailgate party together and get everybody on out here.”

Conkright sent words of encouragement through a bullhorn up to the window of the birthing room that overlooked the parking lot.

The tailgaters kept a running timeline with chalk on the pavement, set up a tent, kept everyone entertained with snacks, drinks, and music and even had signs encouraging the expectant mother saying “Push It, Push It Good.” The festivities went on until 3 p.m. when Bryson Edward Sparks was born.

“My message to him is that he was born on a day that honors men and women who died defending our county. We always are going to be thankful on his birthday, to get to thank them for that. It is a very special time to be born and we are very thankful for all the men and women who are veterans,” reflected Conkright.

The family says Bryson weighs in at eight pounds, 12 ounces. This is the first grandchild for Heather Sparks’ family.