By EMS1 Staff
NEW CASTLE COUNTY, Del. — A paramedic reunited with a baby – now a recent college graduate – he helped deliver on a bathroom floor 21 years ago.
Delaware Online reported that 37-year veteran Senior Cpl. Thomas Murphy, who is set to retire soon, met Jessica Fogal after New Castle County contacted her family to set up a meeting.
“We were impressed that they wanted to talk to us after all these years and reunite Jess with Mr. Murphy on his pending retirement,” Jessica’s mother, Elise, said.
The Fogal family reconnected with Murphy at the New Castle County Public Safety Building and thanked him for his service while recalling the 1996 incident.
“She was determined to be born in a hurry,” Elise said.
“I made one mistake. I stopped to feed the dog,” Jessica’s dad, Mike, said. “When I got upstairs, I was told, ‘How could you do that while I’m up here?’ She has been full steam ahead through her whole life, so it doesn’t surprise us.”
“I didn’t really have time to think, or to prepare for that matter,” Murphy said about the call.
The family said they were thankful that Murphy was there to help during the delivery.
“During the pushing you are thinking to yourself, ‘Oh my gosh, things could go horribly wrong,’ but you become hyper-focused and everything went well,” Elise said. ”They managed to get there and it was exciting.”
Jessica is now a recent graduate of the University of Delaware, where she majored in health behavior science.