By Mary Riley
Kawartha Lakes This Week
ONTARIO, Canada — Little Brittain is one of the newest residents of Little Britain.
The baby girl was born to Samanda Noble and Jesse Cook shortly after 11 p.m. on Sept. 27 — at home. Her parents are not only thrilled with her, but with the care they received from Kawartha Lakes volunteer firefighters and EMS paramedics.
That care, it turned out, extended to the whole family.
“They took care of Jesse, too,” laughed Ms Noble. “He passed out.”
To honour the firefighters and their hometown, they said, they named their daughter Brittain (Patricia Jesse Cook.)
Ms Noble said began feeling labour pains around lunchtime that day, but didn’t think much about it. “I figured I had lots of time,” she said. But, by around 8:30 p.m., they had intensified. Shortly afterward, her water broke.
At the time, Mr. Cook and the couple’s elder daughter, Hayleigh, 6, were sleeping. But, family friend Jimmy Abbott and grandma Debbie Campbell were at the home, and ready to help.
Ms Campbell called 911 and the call went through the Oshwaw dispatch centre. The dispatcher talked her through what to do while Mr. Abbott did what he could to get ready for the birth, including finding a shoelace to tie off the umbilical cord in case the paramedics were delayed.
“Uncle Jimmy was awesome,” said Ms Campbell.
“I knew we weren’t going to make it to the hospital,” said Ms Noble.
Mr. Abbott did his best to make her comfortable, and within minutes, Little Britain firefighters Gord Casey, Mike Woodhouse and Darren Radford arrived.
“Gord just took charge....the baby was crowning, and it only took about four pushes and she was out,” said Ms Noble.
Mr. Cook had awakened during the commotion, she said, “but, he was dazed from sleeping. He was talking to me, telling me everything was all right. But, he was in shock that it was happening at home.”
Mr. Cook laughed, saying he passed out when one of the firefighters asked him if he’d like to cut the cord.
“One of the others said, ‘He’s looking a little white’...and, I passed out. I wasn’t out long, but, they took care of me, too.”
The baby weighed 6 lbs, eight ounces and was born eight days early, her mother said.
Kawartha Lakes EMS paramdedics arrived shortly after the firefighters, he said. The couple know them only as “Chuck, Ralph and Samuel” and described them as “awesome.”
Enroute to hospital in Lindsay, Mr. Cook rode up front in the ambulance while his wife and new daughter were in the back. The driver, he said, explained everything about what happens when babies are born at home and the paramedics’ job.
Kawartha Lakes Assistant Fire Chief Mark Pankhurst said firefighters are trained to deliver babies as part of their Emergency First Responder (EFR) training. He said deliveries at home happen “more than you think.”
He said often the situation requires “a calming effect” as firefighters “might have to deal with someone who’s freaking out, or someone who passes out” - as happened with Mr. Cook.
He said Mr. Casey has 15 years’ with the fire service, Mr. Woodhouse is also a certified paramedic and Mr. Radford has been a firefighter for about 18 months.
Brittain’s parents were delighted to learn the baby is the first “delivery” for Mr. Radford.
Mr. Cook said both of his grandparents died within a month of each other last year, and described the new baby as “a gift.” He said rural firefighters don’t get the credit they deserve, especially when they are volunteers.
“They’re not hicks, that’s for sure,” he said. “They really know what they’re doing, and the paramedics, too.”
Ms Noble said the three paramedics gave her daughter a teddy bear signed by all three men.
And, Hayleigh? Her mother laughed and said, “She slept through it all. She didn’t believe us later when we said Brittain was born at home.”
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