By Cindy Peterson
Best Friends Deliver Sons One Day Apart at AdventHealth Waterman
Lifelong best friends Ashton Ward and Meghan DuBose have shared a lot over the past 14 years — volleyball games, high school classes, wedding day memories. But this spring, they added something truly unforgettable to the list: the births of their sons, delivered just one day apart at AdventHealth Waterman and just in time for Mother’s Day.
“We joked about how close our due dates were,” says Meghan, who met Ashton in 9th grade at Mount Dora Christian Academy. “We never imagined we’d actually have our babies a day apart.”
With due dates just five days apart, Ashton was induced on April 30 and, after a long labor, delivered her son, Knox, by cesarean on May 1. Meghan delivered her son, Ford, on May 2.
In another surprise, both babies weighed exactly 8 pounds, 12 ounces and both were cared for by the same nurse, Katie Mansfield.
“Katie and I had such a special bond,” said Ashton. “When I found out she would be working the next day, I told her, ‘Try to get my friend Meghan. She is being induced tomorrow.’ And somehow, she did.”
For Mansfield, an obstetrical nurse whose passion for caregiving grew from her own experience as a mother, the moment was unforgettable.
“Caring for childhood friends at the same time, there is no better word than remarkable,” said Mansfield. “Watching two lifelong friends walk through one of life’s most vulnerable, beautiful experiences together, it reminded me why I became a nurse.”
It’s the kind of care The Baby Place at AdventHealth Waterman is known for — a combination of clinical excellence and deeply personal support. And it hasn’t gone unnoticed.
The hospital was recently honored for excellence in maternal and infant health with a Level I Maternal Care designation, safe sleep certification from The Joint Commission, and a 5-star rating from the Florida Perinatal Quality Collaborative.
For Ashton and Meghan, though, the recognition is personal. It’s about a trusted nurse, two healthy babies and a story they’ll be telling for years.
“We’ve shared a lot in life,” Ashton says. “But this? This tops everything.”
Originally from the small town of Berryville, Arkansas, Cindy has become a multimedia specialist in journalism, photography, videography, and video editing. She has a B.S. in Communications from the University of Central Arkansas and produces Style Magazine's Sports Hub Podcast and the Healthy Living Podcast. She also produces for Beacon College’s Telly Award-winning PBS show, “A World of Difference.” When she isn’t working, Cindy loves traveling the National Parks with her husband , Ryan, and son, David, photographing wildlife.
