Professional surfer Bethany Hamilton, who was the inspiration behind the movie Soul Surfer after her left arm was bitten off by a shark, has welcomed her first child with her husband. Get all the details on their baby boy, including his spiritual name and its family connection.
Hamilton and her husband, Christian youth minister Adam Dirks, shared this sweet photo on her Instagram page as they cradled their newborn son.
"Blessed to welcome our son, Tobias, into the world. He is named after his great grandpa Tobias meaning 'The goodness of God,'" she captioned the photo.
Tobias is an adorable name that has Hebrew, Spanish and Swedish origins. According to the Social Security Administration's baby name lists, Tobias has been slowly climbing the charts each year and is currently ranked at number 419. Noah is currently the most popular boy name.
Hamilton, 25, shared that Tobias was born on June 1, weighed a healthy 7.9 pounds and measured 21 inches in length.
Throughout her pregnancy, Hamilton continued to surf and she also stayed active by swimming.
"Swimming is my favorite exercise late in my pregnancy," she revealed. "It feels so good to get in the water and feel weightless and move my body with complete ease. I'll always aim to live healthy for me and for my family."
Hamilton was just 13 years old when she lost her arm in a shark attack while surfing in Hawaii. She continues to surf today, despite that scary experience. Her inspirational story was told in the 2012 movie, Soul Surfer.
She and Dirks were married in 2013 and are excited to start their new life with their son Tobias. They announced their pregnancy in January, with a cute video message in which she and Dirks were sitting on a surfboard. "So we have a little surprise for you... baby on board!" she announced.
As her due date approached, Hamilton contemplated her changing role. "Wife first, mom second and the rest follows," she wrote. "I love all my roles. With each role, I am thankful to have the word of God to secure me and guide me to love those around me in this life."
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