By Jo C. Goode
Herald News
FALL RIVER, Mass. — Baby Julia Rose Kane came into the world last week on her own terms, but with a little help from some friends.
On Wednesday, Julia Rose, just a week old, and her parents met up with some of those friends at the Flint fire station for a reunion.
Mom Malinda Prosper and dad Dylan Kane were anticipating the birth of their daughter after Prosper was admitted to Charlton Memorial Hospital last Tuesday; however, she was told to go home Wednesday at 3:30 a.m. after being advised the baby wasn’t arriving anytime soon.
Once home, Kane was trying to get some sleep, but Prosper was in discomfort.
“Painful, I couldn’t get comfortable,” Prosper said.
Then she realized around 6 a.m. it was show time, and she screamed for Kane who helped her get to their bed. Prosper’s mother called 911.
It had been a rough night of work for Fall River EMT partners Beth Ferguson and Ben Davey during their overnight shift. They’d just returned from a call on Rescue 2 to the Flint fire station when Davey took a telephone call from dispatch at about 6:25 a.m.
“We have a bit of a situation, they said. The baby is actually crowning,” said Davey.
Luckily, Prosper and Kane live across from the Flint fire station and Ferguson and Davey were there in a few minutes.
Meanwhile, Fall River police officer Gary Pasternak arrived as did fire Lt. Dan Medeiras and firefighters Bruce Alves, Scott Camara and Joel Correia.
Ferguson said that within 30 seconds of their arrival, Prosper pushed twice and into her arms came the newborn infant.
Time of Julia Rose’s birth was 6:31 a.m.
“Mom did a great job,” said Pasternak. Julia Rose was the second baby he delivered in his 30-year career. It was the first time for the rest of the crew.
Davey suctioned the baby’s nose and mouth and then she let out cry to her mother’s relief.
“That first cry I think was probably the coolest feeling, you could breathe a little bit knowing we have a healthy baby now. It definitely made the night, for sure,” said Davey.
For Ferguson, a mother herself, it was a career highlight.
“You see so many bad things on a daily basis on our jobs. It’s rewarding to see something good coming out of it and to see someone actually coming into the world,” Ferguson said. “Until you do it, you’ll never understand it.”
Pasternak was about to hand over a knife to Kane, but noticed he was a little too shaky to cut the baby’s cord. Firefighter Correia stepped in to do the honors.
Prosper and Kane said they are grateful to the first responders who aided in the birth of their daughter.
“They are our heroes living across the street,” said Kane.
“I would call them to deliver my baby anytime,” said Prosper.
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