ST. LOUIS —
When fans look back at the Blues Championship season, they'll probably declare January as the birth month of "Stanley.'
There were so many moments in January: the Blues turned their season around, Laila Anderson received a life-saving bone marrow transplant and the Blues adopted Gloria as their unofficial anthem.
All are now getting credit for the team, lifting up Lord Stanley's Cup. That's not to be confused with the cup baby Stanley is holding in the St. Louis Children's Hosptical NICU.
Like the Blues' resurgence, Stanley was born in January. His crib in the NICU is all he knows so far in life.
"He’s sleepy. He doesn’t know what’s going on," says Stanley's NICU nurse.
Thankfully, he's under the loving care of that NICU nurse, that also started working here in January.
Yes, of course, named Gloria.
"Every time I tell people my name they sing the song so it’s something I’ve been hearing a long time," laughs Gloria Akinsiku.
The fact that Gloria is even here to care after Stanley seems too good to be true.
"My original home is Florida," she says.
She's a traveling nurse, but with her daughter and son-in-law here in St. Louis, when she's not at work, she's spent time cheering on the hometown team.
"I don’t know much about hockey, I only watch it with my son-in-law but I didn’t realize that the championship cup was the Stanley Cup," says Gloria.
When Stanley was born, his first nickname was "Stan the Man" - a reference to the late great Stan Musial of the Cardinals. The nurses say he comes from a strong line of St. Louis sports fans.
It's unclear exactly when Stanley will be able to discharge, but the hope is, it'll happen before September.
That's when Gloria will head back to her native Florida.
"You know, it’s kind of bittersweet. You’re happy that they are leaving going home where they belong but you’re sad to see them go," she says.
When that finally happens, there will be a celebration worthy of a champion.
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