Photo supplied by Kayla Black
A local mother is hoping to draw some attention towards a charity that supports struggling families with young kids as her own child progresses through a national competition to name Canada’s Baby of the Year for 2026.
Kayla Black of Pembroke says her daughter Savannah, who was born earlier this year alongside her twin sister, spent two weeks in the NICU at the Ottawa Civic Hospital due to a medical condition.
While Black was in Ottawa, she saw many parents that were struggling financially worrying about being able to afford essentials like diapers for their babies.
Black says she and her family were fortunate enough to have a strong support system, but wanted to find a way to give back and help people in similar situations. That led to her discovering the National Baby of the Year competition, which she says was a perfect fit for Savannah’s personality.
The competition is held every year by fundraising company Colossal benefitting Baby2Baby, a charity that helps provide essential items like diapers to families in need.
Black says that taking part in the competition is her way of giving back for the moment.
According to her page on the Baby of the Year website, Savannah is currently in fourth place in her group. Residents can vote for her once per day for free, and additional votes are available for purchase, with proceeds going towards Baby2Baby.
In addition to raising funds for the charity, the winning baby will be featured in Variety magazine, a digital ad campaign, and their parents will receive a $25,000 prize.
You can vote for Savannah here.
(Steve Berard)
