Coral Gables Historical Archive
The Times
Saturday, August 28, 1976, page 2 (of 26)
The page
The text of this pageRead by computer from the scan, so some words may be wrong. The page picture is the original.
the sun shines on . . . Baby Julie fills Kendall couple's needs
“We've had all the sports cars and stereos and evening outings we need. Now we have our baby. Julie's our child and (we) are going to raise her.” Mac and Diane Russell By ELIZABETH OWEN Staff Writer After 11 years of marriage, of watching friends raise children, of warding off the onset of childless loneliness, Mac and Diane Russell finally had a baby. Julie Russell, six pounds, four ounces, was born Saturday, Aug. 21, at 10:26 p.m. at Baptist Hospital. Her parents, both native Miamians, were the first members of the hospital's Stork Club, a program designed to save young expectant couples money and provide basic childbirth education at the same time. Mac and Diane, who live on SW 74th Court, enrolled in the club April 30. By paying the estimated cost of delivery one month before Diane's due date, the couple got a 15 per cent discount on maternity costs not covered by insurance. In addition, they were able to participate free in the Childbirth Education, Awake and Aware and Preparation for Breast Feeding programs. Mac said the average savings offered by the Stork Club came to about $150 — a considerable sum, he said, for a growing family. Of the programs they took part in, both Mac and Diane agreed that Awake and Aware was the most rewarding. Although Diane never had to go into the delivery room (by having her baby almost as soon as she got to the hospital) Mac never left her side. “We got there about 9:30 p.m., and Diane had Julie before 10:30 p.m.,” he said proudly. “Even though we didn't get to practice much of what we had learned, I think knowing in advance what to expect is the key. “There's nothing that can take the place of the father being there, and to exclude him is most unnatural. To see the baby before the embellical cord is cut is a truly moving experience. Diane, 30, who received no pain killer, said she didn't even have to work very hard. “The baby came right out,” she said. “I loved being so aware of what was going on, and I felt perfectly fine the next morning.” Mac admitted that before they had Julie, he and Diane socialized mainly with other childless parents. Being a threesome now — a family — has changed their lives considerably. “It adds a whole new dimension . . . it's part of making life complete,” said Mack, 32. “We've had all the sports cars and stereos and evening outings we need. Now we have our baby. I can't think of anything more beautiful than Diane and I looking at our child together.” Diane said seeing her friends with a lapful of children made her that much more anxious for one of her own. And now that she's had Julie, she's in a world of her own. “I don't think about the outside world,” she said. “Julie's our child, and Mac and I alone are going to raise her.” Said Mac: “It's only natural to keep reproducing — our Julie is going to make the world a better place.”
Westchester Scouts pitch in
Westchester General Hospital's Boy Scout Troop No. 1001 gave Metro's “Keep Dade County Clean” program a shot in the arm last week, passing out more than 1,300 pieces of literature, litter bags and bumper stickers to shoppers at Dadeland Mall. Thomas R. Spencer, chairman of the year-round volunteer project to reduce litter in the county, said the boys from the hospital-sponsored troop had approached him with the idea of presenting an anti-litter exhibit for a Scouting show at Dadeland. “The county is always pleased to receive such enthusiastic support from clubs and institutions such as Troop No. 1001 and Westchester General Hospital to develop community awareness,” Spencer said. The Boy Scouts have been contacting businesses and organizations for several months, accumulating more than 800 plastic litter bags for use in cars. The hospital printed brochures describing the seven sources of litter and solutions to the problems created in the home, the office and on the highway. Troop No. 1001 plans to expand its campaign over the Labor Day weekend if Scouts can collect enough material to distribute to residents. Scout Larry Rhode hands Mrs. John Forte a litter bag . . . while stroller-bound Bradley Forte looks on