All Smiles At Reunion After Firefighters Deliver Baby On Kitchen Floor
GLOUCESTER (CBS) - It was the happiest of reunions Monday between a baby who couldn't wait to be born, and the Gloucester firefighters who helped usher her into the world. But the story started last Tuesday when the drama unfolded on the kitchen floor, and this little girl has a lot of new uncles.
They posed for pictures, hugged and goo-gooed over six-day-old Selah at the Gloucester fire house. It was a less stressful meeting for the new baby, her parents and the firefighters who made this very special delivery.
"I didn't know what to think. Everything was just happening so fast," said mom Amy Goulart.
Amy and Rick Goulart were expecting their third child and planned to deliver the typical way, at the hospital. But on Tuesday night, their first daughter had a different idea.
"She was coming so fast I knew we weren't going to make it," Amy said.
Gloucester Fire got the emergency call at 8:04 pm and rolled up to the family's home.
"We all knew she wasn't making it to the hospital," said Paramedic Anthony Dellatroce. So the paramedics took over, delivering Selah, 7 pounds, 11 ounces.
"She was actually born at 8:17 on my kitchen floor," Amy says.
"I was a nervous wreck. I just kept thinking to myself, I can't believe it's going down like this. It was a crazy experience," says dad, Rick Goulart.
Monday's reunion was a chance for the family to catch their breath and say thank you.
"At one point I thought I was going to have to deliver the baby so I was kind of glad that they did show up," Rick added.
"These guys deal with, on a daily basis, fires, opiate overdoses, cardiac arrests. And when they have the privilege of assisting a mom in a situation like this, this is the pinnacle of your career," says Gloucester Fire Deputy Chief Stephen Aiello.
"Bringing life into the world is amazing," says Firefighter Kyle Benson.
"Having a kid myself, you know what the parents are feeling. It's a nice thing to be part of," adds Firefighter Dellatroce.
For some of the firefighters involved, this was their first delivery. For others it was the third or fourth time they've helped a mom bring her baby into the world.