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FAST BIRTH, FAST RESPONSE. Above, the Slobodnik family of Armada Township visited the Washington Township Fire Department so they could see the family's newest addition, John, who was born Aug. 25 on the shoulder of M-53 with the aid of the department's paramedics. From left, Marty Lathrop, Kevin DeJaeghere, John and his mother Tonia, her daugher Christina, Jim Rewitzer and Jason Harrison.

(Oberver photo by Chris Gray)

Washington paramedics
assist in roadside birth

by CHRIS GRAY
Observer Staff Writer

      Most people know the hospital they were born in when asked. In this case, when John Slobodnik is old enough to answer that question, he gets to reply, "M-53 north of 26 Mile Road."
       On Aug. 25, Washington Township Fire Department paramedics helped deliver the now three-week old infant when his parents, Jeff and Tonia of Armada Township, realized he would be born well before arriving at the hospital.
       "I started having contractions and stuff and called the practitioner, and they just got farther and farther apart, so they said they didn't think it was real labor and told me to lay down," Tonia said. "And all of a sudden I woke up, my water broke and we left immediately."
       Jeff said if they thought the birth was coming so quickly they would've stayed home and called for help. However, about halfway to the hospital, Jeff actually helped birth the baby, and about 30 seconds later the paramedics arrived to help.
       "I was already holding the baby and I handed the baby to Jim (Rewitzer)," he said.
       Paramedics Kevin DeJaeghere and Rewitzer were on scene to help with the delivery. Once they arrived, they suctioned the baby, dried him off and cut the umbilical cord.
       "We don't do this a whole lot, usually the pregnancies we have are hours away," Rewitzer said. "We really weren't expecting her to be delivering the baby when we walked up."
       However, while en route the two ran over their training, and were able to help make sure the baby was all right.
       "For me it was nerve-wrecking en route, because you're going through everything you previously learned in school, it's in the back of your mind, and pregnancies can go either way," DeJaeghere said. "Fortunately it was a smooth pregnancy."
       They then took her and the baby to the hospital to help warm him up and make sure there were no complications.
       "We actually gave the baby to the mom while on the way to the hospital," DeJaeghere said.
       Rewitzer said it was nice to experience a happy event like a birth.
       "It's exciting, it's better than some of the other calls we deal with," he said.
       The only part where the parents panicked was when they thought John wasn't breathing, but they were soothed by the paramedics' professionalism.
       "We couldn't see him breathing so we thought he wasn't, but we didn't know until after that (the paramedics) were scared, they never showed it," said Tonia. "They were so calm, it was as if it was no big deal to deal with it, I was really impressed."
       Both of John's parents said they were grateful for the paramedics in helping them bring their third child into the world.
       "They definitely ensured the survival, I'm not sure what would've happened without them," said Jeff.
       He added that he wouldn't want to necessarily experience it again, though.
       "The ironic part is, the first two were difficult, and this one was quite the opposite," he said. "A little faster than we would've hoped."