Ferguson C. Colin is only two days old, but he will never forget the times in which he was born. He’ll have his middle name, Covid, to remember.
Ferguson’s parents chose the middle name “Covid” for their third child when he was in the womb. It was a virus of that exact name that kept them in fear of going outside and jeopardizing his or his mother’s health.
Mariange and David Colin of Silver Spring, Maryland, welcomed their 7-pound, 3-ounce baby into the world Wednesday at Medstar Montgomery Medical Center.
“I said: ‘You know what? We have been so scared because of COVID.’ We could not go to the doctor’s appointment or anything. We say: ‘You know what, baby? We’re going to name the baby Covid,'” Colin said, recounting the conversation he had with his wife.
That’s what they plan to call their son. However, his father thinks by the time he reaches school-age, he’ll go by Ferguson in class.
“My brother in Florida, he said: ‘David, you’re crazy. Why, man?’ And I say: ‘You know what? That’s a perfect name. I pick that name. It’s perfect. It fits in the family.'”
The child’s first name also has significance. The warmth and generosity of a man named Ferguson whom the family met at church inspired them to name their son after him, Colin said.
“As a black family, he has been good to us, and we say: ‘You know what? With all the things that have happened, we’re just going to show something else and we just named him.’ We give him the first name because we like him. He’s a good guy,” Colin said.
Ferguson Covid has an older brother and sister, 16 years old and 4 years old, respectively. Colin said he moved from his native Haiti in 2006 and has lived in Maryland ever since.
Neither parent has been infected with COVID-19. But from now on, the pandemic of 2020 will always be part of their lives through their son’s name.
