Best friends give birth to 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,” said DuBose, who met Ward 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, Ward was induced on April 30 and, after a long labor, delivered her son, Knox, by cesarean on May 1. DuBose 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 Ward. “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 Ward and DuBose, 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,” said Ward. “But this? This tops everything.”