Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune welcomed the first baby of 2025 for Onslow County, North Carolina. Stella Ray Esther Basham was born at 1:20 a.m. on January 1, 2025.

Baby Stella weighed 6 pounds, 9 ounces and measured at 18.7 inches in length. She is the daughter of Hospital Corpsman Second Class Elisabeth Basham, a native of Olathe, Kansas, and Hospital Corpsman Third Class Timothy Basham, a native of California, Maryland. Stella’s parents are both U.S. Navy Sailors at Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune (NMCCL). Stella is the second child for the couple whose first daughter who was also born at NMCCL.

The couple said Stella’s name drew inspiration from the stars with her middle name – Esther –also meaning “star.” Stella’s father said her original due date was later in January, but her early arrival is a “Hannukah surprise.”

The family thanks the teams with Labor and Delivery and the Mother Baby Unit for caring for both Stella and her mother. NMCCL congratulates the Basham Family on Stella’s birth and wishes them a safe and happy 2025!

NMCCL has provided more than 80 years of dedicated, passionate care for warfighters and beneficiaries at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.