KINGSTON, ONTARIO – The first babies born at Kingston General Hospital in Canada on January 1, 2020 were named Artemis and Apollo, inspired by Greek mythology, the Kingston Whig Standard reported.

New parents Cyndi Jones and Coady Nickerson are not of Greek descent, but chose the names because “both fans of Greek mythology,” the Whig Standard reported.

“They are twins. Artemis came out first and helped to deliver Apollo. Also, they’re two gods that are known to not fit the gender norms. Artemis is the goddess of hunting and archery, which are often thought of as ‘masculine’ things, and Apollo is the god of poetry, music, art, writing, things that are often seen as more ‘feminine’,” Jones told the Whig Standard.

The parents are not releasing the babies’ genders, preferring to keep them gender-neutral, the Whig Standard reported.

“The gender-neutral thing that we’re going for is that in the next decade we’re hoping that our society is that much more inclusive and allows people to kind of figure out who they are as opposed to telling them who they are. That’s one thing that is very important to us,” Jones told the Whig Standard.

Jones, a public health nurse, also works with Nickerson in their own business as cinematic and wedding photographers and videographers, the Whig Standard reported, adding that was why documenting the twins’ arrival was so important.

Jones told the Whig Standard “because we capture important moments in people’s lives, and we just see how powerful it is to be able to relive and cherish those memories. And (the delivery) happened faster than we expected it to, so it’s great that we had a chance to document that journey.”

Nickerson’s 14-year-old son, Gideon, was also present to help document the event, the Whig Standard noted. “He was super excited,” Nickerson told the Whig Standard.

Since the babies’ grandparents were unable to attend, Nickerson’s mother and stepfather are in Nova Scotia and Jones’ parents were sick with strep throat, the photos and video would also help them share in the special event, the Whig Standard reported.

“Her parents are in Kingston but are sick right now,” Nickerson said, the Whig Standard reported.

“We’re trying to capture (photos and video) as much as possible to be able to share it with everyone,” Jones told the Whig Standard.

“The couple is very thankful to all their friends, family, co-workers and hospital staff in helping make the arrival of Artemis and Apollo just [at] the start of a new decade,” the Whig Standard reported.