An Oklahoma man recently delivered his own baby on the side of a highway.
In a March 1 Facebook post, Guthrie Fire and EMS officials shared that Justin and Tessa of Guthrie, Oklahoma were on their way to Mercy Hospital on Feb. 26 to deliver their first child “when both realized they would not make it.”
Justin — who according to the department is a licensed paramedic with Guthrie Fire — “pulled his truck over to deliver their child on the side of the highway.”
The statement continued: “During the delivery, Justin noticed something was wrong, and the cord had become wrapped around the neck. Thankfully, he remained calm, relied on his training, and removed the cord from around the neck.”
Officials shared that the couple was able to welcome a healthy baby boy — who they revealed is named Axton — “despite the craziness of the moment.”
The couple — whose full names are Justin Nelson and Latessa Dismuke — shared details of the harrowing experience while speaking with local news outlet KOKO 5 News, recalling that they were relaxing at home a mere 30 minutes before the birth when Tessa’s water broke.
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“On the way [to the hospital], he [Justin] was like, ‘Do you feel the urge to push?’ and I was like, “Yes — I’m pushing!’ “ she said in a video posted by the outlet on March 4.
“We pulled over on the side of the road. I jumped out and as soon as I opened up the door I seen his head come out,” Justin said in the video. “I never expected to deliver on the side of the road unless I was in an ambulance,” he continued.
Justin said he could see that the baby was “really blue” and observed that the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck. Justin says he used his fingers to disentangle the cord and told Tessa to continue pushing.
Once Axton was out of the birth canal, Justin said that the baby was “blue to the core and he wasn’t moving and he wasn’t crying.” He added: “So I flipped him over and started stimulating him. I was kind of patting and rubbing his back. He let out a real weak cry and seemed to kind of kick his leg.”
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“There wasn’t any ‘Hang on, wait, I need to think,” he recalled. “It was all instinct.”
“It was kinda a chaotic, intense but exciting experience that we […] have together,” Tessa added.
Axton’s full name is Axton Lee Nelson and he weighed 6 lbs., 13 oz at birth, according to KOKO 5.
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