James and Gina Hermenegildo received an unexpected surprise when their son was born on Jan. 1.

The Marion couple welcomed Preston James Hermenegildo, who weighed 5 pounds, 10 ounces, into the world at 8:45 a.m. in Fall River’s Charlton Memorial Hospital seven days before his expected due date.

He is the first baby born on the South Coast in 2016 and the couple’s first child.

“Everything went well,” said Gina, a nurse at St. Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford. “His personality is already showing. He’s very easy going.”

Her husband also works in the healthcare industry as a general surgeon at Truesdale Surgical Associates. The practice is part of SouthCoast Health, which also operates Charlton Memorial Hospital.

SouthCoast Health gave the couple a $100 gift card to Babies “R” Us.

Gina said she and her husband were grateful for the hard work and professionalism the staff showed during the delivery.

“We really received exceptional care while we were there,” she said. “It was a pleasant experience.”