Meet Paris Olympia, making her first appearance in time for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Her mom, Sarajevo Olympia Anderson, is named for – you guessed it – the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo.
By Maureen Gilmer, Riley Children’s Health senior writer, mgilmer1@iuhealth.org
Talk about Olympic thrills! A baby girl born this week at Riley Hospital for Children has a name fit for Olympic gold.
Dubbed Paris Olympia, the 4-pound preemie jumped the gun in her Olympic debut, choosing to enter the world six weeks early. She couldn’t wait until her September due date because, of course, she would have missed the Summer Olympic Games in Paris, which wrap up Sunday.
But it gets better. Paris Olympia’s mom’s name is also a nod to another Olympics – this time the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo.
That’s right, Sarajevo Olympia Anderson gave birth to Paris Olympia McSwine on Monday. Both mom and daughter are doing well.
It wasn’t exactly planned, Anderson said, but she can’t imagine a more fitting name for her little bundle now.
“We let my father name her because his father got to name me,” Anderson said, as her parents, Coleman and Mary Anderson, visited her room in the Maternity Tower NICU this week. Also visiting was Sarajevo Anderson’s partner and Paris’ dad, Michael McSwine.
“She is definitely a blessing,” McSwine said as he held his tiny daughter.
A perfect 10 perhaps?
“She’s our miracle baby,” Anderson added. “She’s more than a rainbow baby, she’s like our galaxy baby – her two brothers paved the way for her.”
Anderson and McSwine lost two sons to stillbirth in 2021 and 2022. Last year, Anderson suffered a miscarriage.
That makes the joy in this hospital room even more poignant, as Paris’ grandparents fussed over her and presented her nurses with Paris ’24 Olympics T-shirts in appreciation for their medal-worthy efforts to dress up the baby’s room and isolette with Olympic-themed crafts, including a tiny hat they knitted just this morning.
“When the nurses heard my story and the reason we named her Paris, they just went crazy,” Anderson said. “They put the medal on the door and decorated everything. “I thought it was just so cute and fitting.”
If she could award medals to the team at Riley, she would go for the gold, saying, “I love them all so much.”
“Riley has been great from Day 1,” she added, giving a shout out to all of her doctors, including Dr. Jon Hathaway and Dr. Hiba Mustafa. “They listened to me and made sure I got everything I needed. I was so blessed to be under their care.”
In the background, the Paris Olympics play on the TV, naturally. That’s a tradition in the Anderson family.
“We grew up on the Olympics,” Anderson said. “It was on every TV in the house.”
That continues today, she said. “We have it on 24/7.”
She particularly loves volleyball (she played in middle school) and swimming, but she watches it all. And little Paris is getting an introduction to the City of Light, even if she doesn’t realize it yet.
Her mom might just be harboring dreams of her little girl becoming an Olympic volleyball player – maybe the 2044 Games?
In the meantime, Paris’ grandmother is already at work sewing some tiny gymnastics outfits for her granddaughter.
And in 2028, for Paris’ fourth birthday, the family is already making plans to attend the next Summer Olympic Games, in Los Angeles.
“That would be the best gift ever,” Anderson said, cuddling her little Olympian.
Let the games begin!
Photos by Mike Dickbernd, IU Health visual journalist, mdickbernd@iuhealth.org
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