A woman visiting Bass Pro's Wonders of Wildlife aquarium in Springfield, Missouri, last week came home with more than a souvenir from the gift shop after unexpectedly going into labor during a trip to the aquarium.
Honestly, the fact that there's a Bass Pro aquarium is news to me all by itself.
little after 3 PM on Wednesday, December 3rd, Mercy EMS answered a call from someone with the mother-to-be. Senior Emergency Medical Director Eli Snider took the call and walked the woman through the birth over the phone.
Snider, who is also a former paramedic with experience assisting in emergency deliveries, said that this was his first time assisting over the phone.
Snider told Fox2
These parties were calm and very helpful. They were willing to do what you asked them to do. You can't always get people to listen, but the key is just a calm approach. You've got to be the calmest one on the phone.
The calm approach apparently worked, because after only about four minutes, the baby made a smooth entrance into the world, seven minutes before emergency services arrived.
Springfield Fire Captain Sean Jackson responded to the call and was the first to arrive on the scene. When he made it to the Women's restroom, the mom and baby were both there waiting.
Jackson told Springfield's News-Leader,
I applaud the mom for, you know, handling that by herself. That's something that's very difficult to do.
The fire crew assisted in clearing the baby's airways, cutting the umbilical cord, and keeping the baby warm until the mother and baby were transferred to a local hospital.
No news on whether the aquarium has granted the baby a lifetime membership yet, but I think we should start a petition, just in case.
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