Waylon William Dillard entered the world on Friday, Jan. 2, earning him the title of Union General Hospital’s 2026 New Year Baby. Though he had a difficult start to life, little Waylon is now home safe, and his parents are hopeful for a bright future for their little fighter.
Alexus Godbold – soon to be Alexus Dillard when she changes her name to reflect her marriage to Quaid Dillard – admitted that her pregnancy was difficult. She was sick often, and was ready to meet her son Waylon when her labor was induced at 40 weeks.
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“I’ve just always liked the name Waylon, and then his middle name came from Quaid’s Papaw,” explained Godbold, adding that Waylon is her and Dillard’s first child. Although the family hails from Marble, North Carolina, Godbold decided to go to Union General Women’s Health in Blairsville for her care because it was “closer to home.”
“(Union General) did good,” said Godbold, glad she chose this regional hospital to give birth. In particular, she was grateful for a nurse – Savannah – who took special interest in her and her baby’s wellbeing; that nurse helped her prepare for labor and returned afterward to meet the infant.
Weighing 6 pounds, 3 ounces, and measuring 17 ¾ inches long, Waylon was delivered by Dr. Cheryl Buchwalter at 5:51 p.m., winning against the other contender for first baby born locally by a few hours. The family is due to receive a gift basket for their achievement, which Godbold said she was surprised by but nonetheless proud of.
The festivities, however, had to be put on hold. Shortly after Waylon’s birth, nurses noticed that he was shaking. Further examination revealed that he was experiencing seizures caused by a brain bleed that originated with a blood clot in the placenta.
Godbold isn’t sure how else to describe the days that followed outside of “horrible.” While her brother joined her husband outside to watch the helicopter take Waylon away for life-saving treatment at the Children’s Hospital at Erlanger in Chattanooga, Tennessee, she couldn’t go outside due to the discharge process for herself.
“It probably would have made me worse if I could have, because I would have watched him leave,” Godbold believes, sharing that Waylon’s flight meant that he arrived at Erlanger in about 30 minutes. His mother, by contrast, had to be discharged from Union General, then make a quick stop at home before finally joining Waylon at Erlanger at 3 a.m. on Jan. 3.
Over that first night, Godbold and Dillard stayed in a “parent room” at the hospital but were able to get a room at the Ronald McDonald House, which provides a place for families with unwell children to stay while their little ones recover in nearby hospitals.
“We couldn’t hold him for 48 hours, and it killed us,” Godbold said, calling that time one of the hardest parts of getting Waylon stable. “(When) we got to stay there and hold him, we stayed there the whole day.”
For six days, Waylon stayed in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). It was there that he was put on medication, and he hasn’t had a seizure since. Additionally, Godbold and Dillard had time to bond with Waylon in a parent trial room at the hospital.
It was there that they learned how to properly feed their new baby, change his diaper and care for him, with attentive nurses noticing when the couple needed a break and helping them out just before they released Waylon to his family on Jan. 9, a full week after his birth.
Fortunately, Waylon has settled in well. Godbold is glad that the medication seems to be managing his seizures, and so far, he appears to be an observant, happy baby. That said, Waylon will need a bit of extra help going forward.
His future is currently filled with regular therapy for motor coordination, and eventually, speech support. Now that he’s a month old, he already has a head start, with Godbold scheduling early appointments as advised by a pediatrician.
Still, life goes on, and already, aspects of Waylon’s personality are shining through. For example, his mother noted that his facial expressions are strong – a trait he apparently inherited from her – and he is very perceptive of the people and happenings around him.
Although nervous about becoming parents, Godbold said that she and Dillard “are making it work,” and they have plenty of familial support.
For now, the proud parents look forward to seeing Waylon grow and develop into whomever he wants to be, and they are thankful that his health has blossomed after a very scary start. It’s unclear whether he will ever be able to stop taking his seizure medication, but Godbold and Dillard have chosen to remain optimistic.
“As of right now,” Godbold said, “I just want him to be strong.”
