Baby booms celebrated at California fire department and Chicago medical network

A fire department in California celebrated a baby boom among its staff in 2025, welcoming nearly two dozen babies. Meanwhile, the University of Chicago Aeromedical Network is celebrating the births of six babies to its team of flight nurses.

Key Takeaways:

• The Stockton Fire Department in California celebrated the births of 22 babies in 2025.

• 15 of those babies gathered on December 29 for a group photo to commemorate the special year.

• Six flight nurses from the University of Chicago Aeromedical Network shared that they all learned they were pregnant at the same time.

• One of the moms told Good Morning America that sharing their stories is important to show that pregnant women and mothers "can do hard things."

The Details:

The Stockton Fire Department shared on Facebook that its staff and members welcomed 22 babies in 2025. On December 29, they gathered 15 of those babies together for a group photo.

"2025 was a busy year for Stockton Fire... and not just our call volume!" said the post. "Today, our Stockton Fire Family Auxiliary brought together 15 of the 22 babies born to our members and staff in 2025 for this special moment."

According to ABC News, the Stockton Fire Family Auxiliary, a nonprofit run by family members of the fire department staff to support firefighters and their families, arranged the gathering. The department has 210 uniformed personnel, according to Recordnet.com.

A similar story was shared last month when six flight nurses at the University of Chicago Aeromedical Network told Good Morning America (GMA) that they all learned they were expecting babies around the same time. According to GMA, five of the women, Sarah Imbruone, Kendra Johns, Caitlin Kilcoyne, Michelle Lambright, and Alex Tang, have since given birth.

“We always say to our kids, ‘You flew in this helicopter before you were even born,’” Tang said. “Someday, we’ll show them a picture and say, ‘These were your first teammates.’”

The moms spoke with GMA, with the five born babies wearing matching onesies that say "Crawl Walk Fly."

"Our entire team, like outside of just us moms, have been so supportive," said nurse Julie Heiple, who was still expecting her baby at the time of the interview.

She noted how "important it is to show a pregnant person working in an aircraft, taking care of critical patients. We can do hard things."

Why it Matters:

These stories show what a joy babies bring into the world and are a cause for celebration at all times, even in difficult circumstances.