Family hopes Cincinnati Zoo names soon-to-be-born baby sloth after their late son

By Lawson Gutzwiller

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    CINCINNATI (WLWT) — A little boy who spent months at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and touched the hearts of many died in early 2021, and now his family is hoping the Cincinnati Zoo names their baby sloth, who is expected to be born any day now, after their precious son.

Alyssa Nicholson and her family created a petition on change.org called “Name the baby sloth after Oliver.”

In the petition’s description, Nicholson described her son Oliver’s journey. Oliver and his twin brother Atticus were born on Oct. 11, 2019. They were born seven weeks early.

Oliver was born with one hand and three total fingers. He also had pig bronchus, long gap TEF, right aortic arch heart, one kidney, narrow airways and a few other minor issues.

Nicholson said her and her family learned that Oliver had VACTERL association, which is a disorder that affects many body systems.

The baby proceeded to spend five months in Cincinnati Children’s Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit. Oliver came home after two failed attempts to connect his esophagus to his stomach.

According to Nicholson, once Oliver was home, he was able to reach the same milestones as his twin, including learning to sit up, butt scoot to get around and stand. His mom said he was even almost walking.

“(He) was the happiest boy you’d ever meet,” Nicholson wrote on the petition.

Even though Oliver’s vocal cords were paralyzed, the child was a fighter and learned how to say “hi,” “dada” and “mama.”

On January 11, 2021, Oliver had surgery to get his esophagus connected to his stomach. While the child was recovering, he got a sloth stuffed animal. Nicholson said Oliver “adored” the stuffed animal and slept with it every night.

Oliver also had a “hang in their” sloth balloon that hung in his hotel room.

Oliver was eventually able to return home. However, about a month later, Oliver went in for a routine procedure to check on his esophagus. While he was asleep and under anesthesia, Nicholson said there were complications that led to bleed around his heart. Oliver was not able to recover from the bleeding.

Oliver died that evening on Feb. 17.

Days later while at Oliver’s visitation, Nicholson said people started coming up to the family to tell them that there was a sloth pregnant at the Cincinnati Zoo. Lots of people were saying that it was a sign and suggested gather a petition to name the new baby sloth after Oliver.

Oliver’s family learned that the pregnant sloth Lightning was a two-toed sloth, which in a way resembled Oliver’s one hand with two fingers.

“We had his ‘hang in there’ balloon above him and buried him with a lovey sloth. We still have his favorite stuffed animal sloth with us and it reminds us he is still here with us,” Nicholson wrote in the petition.

So far, the petition has gained over 40,000 signatures to its 50,000 signature goal. Click here to sign the petition.

Time is ticking and the Cincinnati Zoo’s sloth named Lightning will soon be having a pup.

Cincinnati Zoo officials announced Lightning’s pregnancy in February. Lightning is the live-in partner of Moe, a longtime resident of the zoo.

Moe, 21, and Lightning, 8, are both two-toed sloths. An ultrasound at the beginning of the year confirmed that Lightning is expecting.

Lightning became pregnant around October, and gestation for a sloth is around 10 to 11 months. Lightning is expected to deliver her newborn sometime this fall. Like everything sloths do, growing a baby takes a long time.

This is the first sloth baby for the Cincinnati Zoo.

Lightning came to the zoo in 2019 on a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan.

She joined Moe, who has been at the zoo since 2006.

Moe was orphaned in the wild. And being from the wild, his genetics are very valuable. Finally, after 15 years, Moe is going to be a father.

The courtship took a long time. It wasn’t love at first sight, but the pair warmed up to each other and couldn’t stay 6 feet apart during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On July 12, the Cincinnati Zoo announced that the birth watch is on. Starting July 12, volunteers will be watching Lightning on camera overnight to let her care team know if they see any signs of labor.

According to the Cincinnati Zoo, Lightning’s keepers have already prepped and baby-proofed her habitat.

The care team will continue to monitor Lightning and will perform regular ultrasounds throughout her pregnancy.

WLWT will provide updates once the baby sloth is born.

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