A DOTING new dad has paid tribute to the members of National Ambulance Service who assisted his partner in the delivery of a baby girl at a petrol station in Co Kildare yesterday.
John Feane and Naomi Galvin were heading home from a routine check-up at Coombe Hospital in Dublin when the unthinkable happened.
The couple's journey had already been delayed after they got a flat tyre driving back from the hospital.
While John was able to fix the issue quickly, by the time they were ready to resume their journey Naomi told him there was "a few movements going on".
Thinking quickly, he pulled into the nearest service station, theorising that it would make it easier for an ambulance to spot them and take Ellie to hospital.
He told Brian Dobson on the News At One: “It was a lit-up area and I knew that if I was going to have to meet an ambulance they would be able to see me straight away.”
Unfortunately, it was already too late for that - the baby was on the way.
"It was pretty much go time so you know we were told to get the towels and take the laces out of Naomi’s shoes in the event that she did come before I had any help."
Help did eventually arrive in the form of an ambulance crew led by hief ambulance officer for North Leinster Richard Quinlan who arrived at the Applegreen in time.
Speaking to RTE, John admitted it amounted to a “worst-case scenario” for the couple.
“It was spilling rain, it was freezing cold, myself and the paramedic got drowned,” he said,
"We were trying to keep Naomi as comfortable as we could until the cavalry arrived and thankfully they did.”
Just after 6pm, baby Ellie arrived into the world.
This is Baby Ellie!👶
Huge congratulations Mum & Dad!
Chief Ambulance Officer @RQuinlan999 & @JanetteOman had the privilege of assisting Mum yesterday evening. #Edenderry Ambulance Crew (1 on his 1st day in the job) then transported all safely to the @CoombeHospital
@NasDirector pic.twitter.com/R8Xegd55vx— National Ambulance Service (@AmbulanceNAS) February 4, 2021
Mother and baby were subsequently transported back to Coombe Hospital by the National Ambulance Service and are being well looked after by maternity staff at the hospital.
"Delivery in the front of the car, delivery went fine thanks to mum in fairness, she worked very hard,” Chief Ambulance Officer Quinlan said.
"We checked little baby Ellie over and once baby is delivered we work making sure baby is okay, mum is okay."
Ellie is due to meet her big sister and three big brothers once she returns to her home in Coill Dubh.
While John is no doubt looking forward to reuniting his family, in the meantime he was eager to pay thanks to the staff to Quinlan and everyone else on the ambulance crew who put “everyone at ease”.
He said: “Everyone’s doing brilliantly and the Coombe is an absolutely fantastic place... the guys in there are very professional and are looking after them very well.”
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