Cainan Austin was the first baby born in Concord Hospital, New Hampshire USA in 2017.
After two days of early labour, his parents Lamar and Lindsay had left their other three children (aged eight, three and 21 months) with family and made their way to the hospital at 4am on New Year’s Eve, travelling on icy New England roads following a snowstorm.
Cainan’s arrival should have marked the end of a stressful, if joyful, few days. Unfortunately, attending the birth of his son cost Lamar his job as a part-time security guard.
As Lindsay went into labour and Lamar let his boss know he wouldn’t be at work the following day, he received a text warning him that he would be fired if he missed his shift.
Austin said he was hired by Salerno Protective Services a month previously ago for a 90-day trial period as a part-time security guard. He was expected to be on call at all times.
“I thought, ‘Family comes before anything else,’ ” Austin (30) told the Concorde Monitor. “I’m not going to turn my back on them for a job.”
It was hard, but if I have to choose between work and family, I’m always going to pick my family.
Sometimes you lose something, and you get something even better.”
Happily, news travel fast and a GoFundMe campaign set up by a stranger who was touched by the family’s story has already raised €1,785 to help with their expenses as Lamar looks for another job. He has also been inundated with offers of employment.
In the meantime the family are enjoying getting to know their new addition.
Main image: Leah Willingham/ Concord Monitor
