New Year’s Day joy as Gisborne’s first baby of 2026 is born

Paumoli Faasili with 2-year-old daughter Theresa and partner Irirangi Hammond-Papuni, holding baby Faith. The couple are joyous after becoming parents for the second time at 8.56am on New Year's Day.

Gisborne’s first baby of 2026 is Faith Paumoli Hammond-Papuni.

Faith, born at 8.56am on New Year’s Day, weighed 5.8 pounds (2.6kg) and was 48cm long.

Joyous mother Irirangi Hammond-Papuni, aged 25, told the Gisborne Herald she and baby stayed at Gisborne Hospital’s Puawai Aroha Maternity Unit for two days as Faith had low sugar levels.

Hammond-Papuni and her partner, Paumoli Faasili, also have a 2-year-old daughter, Theresa.

Hammond-Papuni said her older sister took her to the maternity hospital just after 5am on New Year’s Day.

Faasili remained at home looking after Theresa.

“It was so early in the morning,” Hammond-Papuni said.

“Theresa was still asleep.”

Her sister later brought Faasili to the hospital, where he stayed for most of the day.

He had been in Samoa when Theresa was born.

Proud mum Irirangi Hammond-Papuni, pictured with her daughter Faith Paumoli Hammond-Papuni, Gisborne's first baby of 2026.

Hammond-Papuni said she had not “clicked” that it was a new year.

“It was not until my partner came in and said it was New Year’s Day.

“And the nurses were pointing it out too, ‘your baby is the first of the new year.’

“It makes it a bit more special, and it’s close to my birthday on the 8th.”

Today everything is well in the family.

“Everybody is adjusting well,” she said.

“We’re liking our new life, it’s good.

“It was a good start to our new year, that’s for sure.

“I’m pretty happy.”