Indie and Theodora Mason

Proud mom and HCA Healthcare occupational therapist, Jessica Mason gave birth to two babies in two HCA Healthcare hospitals located at the farthest points apart in North America, spanning 4,806 miles.

Jessica and her family have built a special connection with the HCA Healthcare family, through the care they have received.  Now working at HCA Florida Sarasota Doctors Hospital, she feels that she has found her “unicorn” hospital.

Unicorn? Yes, unicorn. Her hospital is where she feels at home, joyful and fulfilled helping people as a Lead Occupational Therapist.

There aren’t rainbows over the hospital every day, but there are many people at Sarasota Doctors who care about Jessica and her family, a rare find in the workplace. And it’s not exactly mystical, but there is a definite magic to the authentic warmth of Care Like Family she has felt in the care she has received.

Indie James Mason was born May 9, 2024 at HCA Florida Brandon Hospital and Theodora (Theo) Jane Mason was born October 31, 2020 at Alaska Regional Hospital.

Although the hospitals are very far apart, Jessica shared, “They have one thing in common. The kindness and care for their patients was the same.”

It is a special experience to have your growing family cared for by your HCA Healthcare family. This is not lost on Jessica and her husband, Nic, who wish time could slow down just a little bit right now, since precious memories are being made.

At Home with Newborn Indie

At three months old, Indie fits right into this adventuresome family that loves the outdoors. On a recent trip to the Georgia mountains, Indie was tucked in a baby carrier while the rest of the family enjoyed fishing, hiking and catching fireflies.

When they are home, Jessica is keeping the household running at times. Nic loves to play imaginary roles with Theo, which can involve wearing a tiara as Elsa’s fellow princess or stepping in as a Paw Patrol character.

“Nic is the master of pretend. Theo and Nic have developed a special bond with the arrival of Indie. He is a great dad. He helps with feeding Indie and diaper changes, too. This summer, there have a lot of bonding moments for our family,” said Jessica.

“Theo takes being a good big sister seriously. She is always the first one to run if Indie cries, gives Indie her pacifier and is always a wonderful help. Theo loves to try to make Indie smile by singing to her and making silly faces. She can’t wait until Indie can start playing with her,” said Jessica.

Alaska and Arrival of Theo

Let’s take a step back in time to the beginning of this HCA Healthcare family story.

Jessica and Nic’s married life started with a skydiving landing proposal with family in attendance. So, it made perfect sense for their wedding to be just as adventure-packed with an Alaskan Cruise wedding. It was a bit of a whirlwind, but everything fell into place.

Once vows were exchanged, the newlyweds made an exciting move from Indiana to Alaska. Jessica and Nic sold their house, packed their things and moved in a month. Jessica had been hired for an occupational therapist role at Alaska Regional Hospital.

Jessica and Nic adopted the new normal that a typical day in Alaska offered: wearing multiple layers, putting on ice cleats and counting on their Jeep’s four-wheel-drive to get them where they needed to go. It was a good day when the roads were clear of moose or bears, and the bridge near their home was accessible, not closed due to weather.

This adventuresome family visited the Alaskan national parks. In the summer, they hiked, kayaked and fished and in the winter, they snowboarded, dogsledded and visited glaciers.

They welcomed their daughter, Theo, at Alaska Regional on October 31, 2020, at 11:52 p.m. She was promptly bundled for the cold. She weighed 7 pounds, 1 ounce, and was 20 inches long.

“The care we received was nothing short of wonderful. The OBs, labor and delivery nurses, mom and baby nurses and pediatric nurses were kind and caring and listened to our needs. We felt so well taken care of at Alaska Regional Hospital,” said Jessica.

They started a family tradition of wearing themed outfits for their departure picture from the hospital with their new little one. The photos of their family in red track suits is super fun and the one of Theo bundled with her Alaska hat and teddy-bear-like snuggle suit is just too much for words.

Florida and Getting Ready for Indie

After an amazing time in Alaska, the Mason family was ready for the sun and palm trees offered by Sarasota. They also wanted to move to where they had family, so they decided to relocate to the sunny state of Florida.

The Mason family moved from Anchorage's subarctic weather to Sarasota's subtropical weather. They drove 10-12 hours for seven days through three Canadian provinces and 10 states. Their car was brimming with activity, with two dogs and a 10-month-old baby.

“It didn’t take long for us to thaw out and enjoy all the beauty Florida has to offer, “ said Jessica.

Jessica, Nic and Theo fell in love with family-friendly Sarasota with beautiful beaches, parks and children’s museums.

When Jessica became pregnant with Indie, she started researching her birth options. At first, driving close to 50 minutes from Myakka City seemed out of the question, but after she spoke with her colleague and toured Brandon Hospital, she decided it was the right choice for her family.

It was a comfort to Jessica that if she had complications in her pregnancy, Brandon Hospital has a Level III Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). She knew a higher level of care was available for her baby if needed.

Indie was born on May 9, 2024, at 5:29 a.m. at Brandon Hospital. She weighed 8 pounds and was 21 inches long.

“The stay from beginning to the end was phenomenal. Everyone from security to the labor and delivery nurses to the post-partum care was fabulous. Everyone was so caring and attentive. They listened to my questions and concerns. The staff was very thorough with their evaluation of Indie and me. I knew we were in good hands,” said Jessica. 

Jessica shared, “And we cannot forget the kitchen staff. The breakfast pancakes were the best pancakes I’ve had in a long time and whoever made them deserves an award.”

To continue their family tradition in Florida, Jessica and Nic decided to go tie-dye for their hospital departure picture with Indie.

Jessica feels blessed to have had two incredible birth experiences at HCA Healthcare hospitals. Jessica has worked for HCA Healthcare for five years, and as mentioned, she feels that she has found her “unicorn hospital” at Sarasota Doctors Hospital. She feels at home in her hospital, a special place where she can share her gifts as an occupational therapist and feel the love of the HCA Healthcare family.

Weather Trivia between Anchorage, AK vs. Sarasota, FL

The average temperature in Anchorage, Alaska, ranges from 53-63 degrees in July to 11- 23 degrees in January, while in Sarasota, the temperature varies from 75-89 degrees in July to 53-71 degrees in January. Anchorage has long, freezing winters and cool, mostly cloudy summers, while Sarasota has mild winters and hot, humid summers. On average, there are 1992 sunshine hours per year in Alaska, and Sarasota has 2,925 sunshine hours per year, which is close to three months more of sunshine.