911 Operator Helps Woman Deliver Her Baby in the Car over the Phone

A 911 operator was pleased to meet a mom who she helped deliver her baby over the phone. The new mom now shares a deep bond with the operator.

911 operators have been known to save lives through their swift response to emergencies. Still, there have been few occasions where a phone operator became a baby’s godmother after helping to deliver the baby on the roadside over the phone.

The phone operator in Philadelphia finally got to meet the new mom she helped over the phone, and the duo have become great friends and now share a sweet bond over the newborn.

Charlotte Fatoma was driving herself to the hospital ahead of her anticipated delivery when she unexpectedly went into labor. She had no choice but to reach out to the emergency service.

After dialing 911, she was attended to by dispatcher Elyce Rivera who was relatively new on the job and had spent only four weeks. Rivera picked up the phone and guided Fatoma through the delivery as she sat in the car on the side of the highway.

Following the successful delivery, Fatmoma expressed her gratitude to Rivera and made a move to meet her lifesaver.

When they finally met, Fatoma confessed that she named the baby Elizabeth Elyce in honor of Rivera and then asked if she would like to be the baby’s godmother. Rivera happily accepted the offer.

HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED

Rivera was beginning to prepare for the close of her shift when she heard the phone ring. At first, she feared it was a road accident due to how panicked Fatoma sounded over the phone.

Before placing the call, Fatoma already felt signs that she was about to welcome her little one, but she did not expect the arrival to be sudden. She thought she would have enough time to go to the hospital, which was 40 minutes away.

THE BIG CALL

Once she got on the road, Fatoma, who was already a mother of two working as a nurse at an assisted living home, realized she was never going to make it to the hospital as there was traffic at that time.

Traffic came to a standstill, and the contractions were getting closer, so Fatoma dialed 911 as a last resort.

Recounting the moment, Rivera revealed Fatoma was simply screaming on the phone, and she thought of what she could do to help her stay calm as the anxiety and tension were unhealthy for the baby.

Speaking to “Today” about the moment, Rivera said: “So what I told Charlotte was that everything that she’s feeling, her baby is feeling. And I didn’t want her baby to go into distress, so that’s why I kept telling her, ‘Just take deep breaths.’”

This was the first time the call operator was dishing out baby counsel, and luckily, she helped bring a baby into the world. According to Fatoma, Rivera’s calmness enabled her to stay calm during the contractions.

Rivera advised Fatoma to pull over and get ready to welcome the baby. She told her to position herself in the car, move the seat back and push herself all the way to the edge of the chair with her legs up in a way that makes space for the baby.

While on the call, Rivera could hear the baby’s cry, and it did not take long before an ambulance came to get the new mom. Rivera’s bravery has been praised by social media users, but the best reward for Rivera is getting to be the baby’s godmother.