Adalynn Marie Mitchell apparently couldn’t wait a minute longer to enter the world. Instead, she forced the issue and was born en route to the hospital in the back of the ambulance.
Her father sat in the passenger seat of the ambulance’s cab while paramedics helped her mother.
One minute before they reached the doors of the hospital, Adalynn was born. A healthy length and weight – a healthy baby girl. Mom, too, was in good spirits. “It was a great experience,” Paramedic Jesus Monaco said of helping to bring the infant into the world.
For him, the day had extra special meaning – it was his own adopted daughter’s birthday.
Monaco said the fire station got the call about an 18-year-old female in labor at about 4 a.m. “I knew it was serious,” he said, explaining that not only was Fire Rescue called out, so too was the EMS supervisor.
Waking up on the way, Monaco read through the notes provided by dispatch. The notes indicated they might have to rush mom to the hospital and that it might be a high-risk birth. There was an indication that a C-section might be needed.
Monaco and his partner, Paramedic Craig Stokes, got Arica Mitchell on the stretcher and got her into the ambulance. Contractions were steady – two minutes apart and a minute in between.
Before they got to the hospital, mom was ready to push. “That was a red flag!” Monaco said, explaining that they weren’t going to make it to the hospital in time. “We never stopped.”
The baby was born while the ambulance continued on its way. Adalynn was born at 4:21 a.m.; they arrived at the hospital at 4:22 a.m. Witnessing Adalynn’s first breath – “that was magical,” Monaco said.
“Everything went according to plan,” he added. Still, it was nothing like he had been trained. “It’s nothing like that in the book.”
In his 13 years as a paramedic, Monaco said he’s rushed many a laboring woman to the hospital and managed to get her there in time to deliver at the facility. This, Adalynn, was a first.
Monaco said Adalynn’s mom, Arica, did great. “She was brave,” he said. “She held herself together.”
After their shift, Monaco and Stokes visited the Mitchells bearing a card and flowers and were able to hold the littlest addition to the family.
Attempts to reach the parents for comment were not immediately successful.
