BETA BABY! Health First’s Viera Hospital Marks Brevard’s First Baby of 2025 With Birth of Betty-Rose Freeman
By Space Coast Daily // January 1, 2025
Baby Betty-Rose born At 12:24 a.m.
Related Story:Babies and Stars! Health First’s Viera Hospital Opens New Labor and Delivery Unit, Gets 5-Star Hospital Rating
Betty-Rose Freeman is One of the World’s First “Beta Babies”
BREVARD COUNTY • VIERA, FLORIDA – At 12:24 a.m., while most of us were still in the early stages of celebrating the new year, baby Betty-Rose Freeman took her first breath at Health First‘s Viera Hospital – becoming Brevard County’s first baby of 2025.
Betty-Rose, named after her great-grandmother, is the first child to parents Richard and Anjelica of Port Saint John. She arrived weighing 7 pounds, 11 ounces and measuring 19.75 inches.
In an added twist, new mom Angelica arrived at Viera Hospital to deliver Betty-Rose on December 30… which happens to be Angelica’s own birthday.
“I was hoping to share my birthday or have her on New Year’s Eve. She came when she wanted to – she wanted to be famous. Everyone’s excited about it, so we can’t complain about that. She’s already a star on the first day, so it’s great,” said Angelica. “We were thinking it was going to be a New Year’s Eve baby, so we’re excited about it. We’re happy that she’s going to have this moment to make it even more of a special occasion.”
Not only does Betty-Rose now hold the distinction of being Brevard County’s first baby born in 2025 – but she is also officially one of the world’s very first Beta Babies!
According to Newsweek, the name of the new generation born after January 1, 2025, has been revealed to be Gen Beta, officially the world’s youngest generation, according to Mark McCrindle, a demographer and social analyst.
McCrindle, who previously coined the name Gen Alpha, wrote in a blog post that the new generation will span from 2025 until 2039. By 2035, Gen Beta is expected to make up 16 percent of the population, and many may live to see the turn of the 22nd century.
The birth of Gen Beta as a generation is significant because this new generation will be the first to live in a world where artificial intelligence and automation are a part of everyday life, in addition to other vast technological advancements to come.
Viera Hospital’s new Labor and Delivery Unit officially opened on Aug. 21 this past year, transitioning Labor and Delivery care from Cape Canaveral Hospital, as Health First has officially begun construction on a new hospital and medical office complex in Merritt Island, approximately four miles east of the existing Cape Canaveral Hospital.
The Birth Suites at Viera Hospital include 14 spacious rooms for all-inclusive labor, delivery, recovery, and postpartum care. Patients will remain in the same room throughout their stay, providing a private space for families. The unit also features two operating rooms.
