By Erik Hogstrom
Telegraph Herald
FARLEY, Iowa — Keely Jayne Kleinschrodt couldn’t wait for the ambulance ride from Farley, Iowa, to The Finley Hospital to end. Actually, she didn’t wait for the ambulance ride to end. Keely decided to enter the world right around, oh, the area of U.S. 20 near the Dubuque Walmart.
“She just wanted to shop,” said Krystal Kleinschrodt, who delivered Keely at approximately 11:40 p.m. Thursday in the back of a Farley EMS ambulance. Krystal, 26, experienced contractions about 10 minutes apart throughout Thursday. Krystal was due March 13, so she knew the baby would be coming soon. Just not so soon.
She rose out of her seat and the nature of the contractions changed dramatically. “Bing-bang-boom — they were back-to-back,” she said. Krystal told her husband, Steve Kleinschrodt: “I’m not going to make the car ride into Dubuque.” Farley’s responding EMS personnel included Bryan Myers, a veterinarian at Pipestone Veterinary Clinic in Independence, Iowa. “When we went into the house, I didn’t realize it was going to happen that soon,” Myers said. “I didn’t realize it until it was just about to happen.”
As the ambulance raced to Dubuque, Steve, 31, followed along at a slightly slower pace in the family car. “I got caught up in a couple lights,” he said. “I was a nervous wreck.” Unbeknownst to Steve, Keely also was racing the ambulance — and she was quicker. Myers, who has delivered hundreds of animal babies during his 22-year veterinary career, received his first crack at delivering the human kind.
“It was very exciting, and everything went well,” said Myers, who has spent 10 years with the Farley Ambulance. “There were two other EMTs in the back with me, and everything went perfectly.” The EMTs applied some suction to Keely’s mouth and she produced a healthy wail.
“They brought her up on my belly, saying the body temperature was the best thing for her,” Krystal said. Friday, Keely spent her time in Finley’s Birthing Suites, meeting big brother Dylan, 4, and other relatives. Also Friday, Myers marveled at Krystal’s composure. “Krystal was a perfect patient,” he said. “She didn’t get shook up, she didn’t even seem too worried.”
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