Birth at St. Anthony Hospital to be featured on Learning Channel

WARWICK-Gabriella was just born and she's already a TV star. On Tuesday, June 8, Amy Brennan of Vernon, N.J. gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, 7 lbs. 4 oz., at the Kennedy Birthing Center in St. Anthony Community Hospital in Warwick. The labor, delivery and recovery all took place in a comfortable birthing suite. Her husband, Tom, her doctor, Stanislaw Landau, MD, and the hospital's professional nursing staff were on hand throughout the entire process. There were also liberal visiting hours for friends and other family members. But a couple of other visitors were somewhat out of the ordinary. A camera crew from The Learning Channel (TLC), an offshoot of television's popular Discovery Channel, had received permission from the family and the hospital to record the birth and interview staff, physicians and family members. The producer also provided a camera and enlisted dad to shoot "Daddy Cam" clips of leaving home, arriving at the hospital, being discharged and so forth. The TLC crew will return in about six weeks to follow-up and film the family settled at home with the new baby. The unscripted "Baby Story," exact time and date to be announced, will air on TLC this coming Fall. "TLC," said producer Christina McElroy, "is about real life: its surprises, its emotion and its energy. We selected Tom and Amy Brennan for this story because they're a great couple." Tom Brennan, an electrician by trade, and his wife, Amy, have three other children: Sean, 6; Victoria, 3 and Brendan, 19 months. "Amy," said McElroy, "has a terrific personality. Tom is funny. These are young people that our audience will love to see. This is their fourth child and we wanted to show how they balance their lives." The half-hour program will begin with an interview followed by scenes of various family activities as they prepare to drive to the hospital. It concludes with the birth and a follow-up visit to see the Brennan's and Gabriella, the newest member of the family. TLC is available in more than 84 million homes throughout the United States and in 7.3 million homes in Canada. "We're honored that TLC selected this wonderful family and our hospital for its television program," said Leah Cerkvenik, RN, executive vice president/administrator of St. Anthony Community Hospital. "We're proud of the warmth and expert skills of our staff. Having a baby is one of life's most joyous experiences. Our goal at St. Anthony Community Hospital's Kennedy Birthing Center is to make childbirth a wonderful experience for everyone involved." More than 500 babies are born each year at St. Anthony Community Hospital. The Kennedy Birthing Center is a state-of-the-art maternity unit, offering many new options and amenities. It combines modern technology with a comfortable, family oriented atmosphere in beautifully decorated, single birthing suites. The Kennedy Birthing Center was built to provide homelike surroundings for a more natural labor, delivery and recovery right in the same birthing suite. The unit also has a C-Section Suite, a large, cheerful nursery and several gynecological rooms.