Suffolk County Police Officers Receive Special Honor After Helping Mother Deliver Baby In Car
BAY SHORE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Two Suffolk County police officers who came to the rescue of a mother giving birth on the side of a road received a special honor Friday.
It was in East Patchogue on Hospital Road, of all places, where Nicole Gonzalez found herself in labor weeks early, but nowhere near her hospital.
"I said, 'There is no holding her back, please call 911, call 911 right now," Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez, a mom who has had three other children, says this one was coming astonishingly fast, CBS2's Carolyn Gusoff reported.
"I was driving and she felt the baby coming out, and she's like, 'I'm not going to make it. You need to pull over,'" said Robert Notarnicola, the baby's father.
"I was on the side of the road having her, so very dramatic entrance into the world for my first girl," Gonzalez said.
In minutes, there was a comforting sight -- Suffolk police officer Daniel Rosado and Danielle Congedo, who both have EMT training.
"She said, 'I'm gonna have this baby right now," Congedo said. "She had two young boys in the back, and we had one of the boys get out of the car so we could lay her back, and the baby was coming, and the baby came, and it was the longest three seconds of my life when I was waiting for that baby to cry."
The baby weighed in at 7 pounds 4 ounces.
"Thankfully enough Danielle was there to catch the baby because there was no stopping me," Gonzalez said.
Two days later, the two officers reunited with the happy family at South Shore University Hospital, and Gonzalez honored them with a tribute that will last a lifetime.
"Danielle and Daniel came to the rescue of helping bring her into the world and not having to do it on my own before anybody got there. They got there just in time," Gonzalez said. "We want to honor that .. so we decided to name her Annabella Danielle."
The way tiny Annabella Danielle came into the world will be part of her life story, told in her name.
"Thank you so, so much for being there and jumping in," Gonzalez told the officers Friday.
"Thank you for naming her after us. That is such an honor," Congedo said.
Gonzalez and Notarnicola say this will be their last baby; surely nothing can top this.
