Two security officers yesterday morning helped a 31-year-old woman give birth in the back of their car.
The mother-to-be, Deton Assanah, safely delivered her baby in the patrol car with the help of the two on-duty officers attached to the Community Comfort Patrol Unit (CCP), Shondel Davy and Sheldon Lawson.
Davy and Lawson were on routine patrol in the El Dorado area when they noticed a woman on the side of the road, surrounded by onlookers, rolling on the ground and grimacing in apparent pain.
“We stopped and checked out what was happening and realised that a woman was in pain and that was when we offered to take her to the hospital. Her mother was with her and told us that she could not get a taxi to take her so we got her in the car and sped off,” Davy said.
“While on the way, the woman started bawling in more pain and when I looked back I realised that she was in labour and the baby was ready to be born so we pulled over and had no choice but to help her. The baby was born in the backseat around the Curepe area,” he added.
Both Davy and Lawson said that despite their nervousness and lack of experience helping with childbirth, they were determined to stay calm and help deliver the baby safely.
“We just had to stay focused,” Lawson said.
Davy, however, expressed disappointment in the way they were allegedly treated by officials at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC).
“When we got to the emergency department at the EWMSC we were told that we cannot bring the mother there and told to go somewhere else; it was only back and forth. I just find that they could have handled it more professional and deal with the emergency,” Davy said.
Assanah's mother, Cheryl, who was with her at the time said she believed that God sent those two security officers as angels for her daughter, otherwise Assanah would have been forced to give birth on the roadside.
Cheryl said that she attempted to flag down a passing police car but the officers allegedly failed to stop.
“I was on my way to work when Deton told me that her back and belly was paining her. I called in an emergency and tried to help my daughter. I could not get a taxi, neither did the police car stop to help me. Thank God for those two security officers,” Cheryl said. Asked if she knew that her daughter was pregnant, Cheryl replied, “I got a dream that she was pregnant and when I asked her she said no. I saw no belly on her either, but still, I just had an idea.”
Cheryl, nevertheless, added that she was grateful for the help rendered by the officers. “My daughter and the baby could have died or more embarrassing my daughter could have given birth on the pavement but I really happy and grateful to the officers.” When visited at the Mount Hope Women's Hospital, Assanah, who was all smiles, would only say that she named her baby Christianna, after the CCP.