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Ill. paramedics, firefighters help deliver baby en route to hospital

Officials pulled the ambulance over to deliver the baby

By Hannah Leone
The Beacon-News

AURORA, Ill. — Aurora paramedics and firefighters helped deliver a baby boy who didn’t want to wait to be born at the hospital.

On the ambulance ride to the hospital, it became clear to firefighters they were going to have to deliver the baby themselves, Aurora Fire Department officials said in a news release.

Aurora Fire Department personnel were dispatched to a home in the 1000 block of Grove Street on Tuesday afternoon for a 21-year-old woman who was in labor. The medics who got there first quickly moved her to an ambulance. Firefighters soon arrived and helped medics as they began transporting the woman to Rush-Copley Medical Center, according to the Fire Department news release.

On their way to the hospital, the woman’s contractions became more frequent.

“It quickly became apparent the child was not going to wait to be born,” according to a statement from the Fire Department.

Officials decided to pull the ambulance over to the side of the road for a safer delivery.

At about 1:43 p.m., the baby boy was born.

Officials assessed the new mother and child, then got back on the road and continued to the hospital.

As of Thursday afternoon, both mother and child were “doing fine,” according to fire officials.

Five paramedics and firefighters were involved in the delivery, said spokesman Lt. Jim Rhodes. They were off of work and unavailable for comment Thursday.

Copyright 2016 The Beacon-News

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