How triple-0 call operator helped couple deliver Christmas miracle
WHEN Hope Walker’s 28-week-old baby decided to arrive as a very early Christmas present, there was only one thing between joy and disaster — the voice of ambo Emily Hornerman.
NSW
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WHEN Hope Walker’s 28-week-old baby decided to arrive as a very early Christmas Day present, there was only one thing between joy and disaster — the voice of ambulance control officer Emily Hornerman.
In five frenzied minutes, in the face of screams from mum Hope and panic from dad Paterson Heenan, the inexperienced ambo took control of the situation.
“I’m going to help you deliver the baby, OK?” Ms Hornerman said.
At times, Ms Hornerman had to fight for the attention of Mr Heenan, who was overcome by shock when he returned from the bathroom with towels to see his son had emerged.
“Sir, come back to the phone, I need to know if the baby’s breathing,” Ms Hornerman said.
But there was relief and triumph when Kingston Heenan’s first cries could be heard over the line and Mr Heenan retrieved the handset to assure Ms Hornerman their IVF baby was alive and well.
Three minutes later paramedics arrived to rush the young family to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, where tiny 1.4kg Kingston will keep growing under the watchful eye of doctors and nurses for the next three months — until he reaches full term.
On Friday, the parents and ambo had a tearful reunion over Kingston’s humidicrib at the RPA neonatal intensive care unit.
“Emily saved my son’s life and I’ll think of her for the rest of his life,” Ms Walker said.
“All I could think on Christmas night was how much I wanted to meet this girl and give her the biggest hug.”
The feeling was mutual for Ms Hornerman, who had worked for a financial lending firm until August, when she listened to an American podcast about 911 dispatchers and decided she needed to change careers.
“Hearing the baby crying in the background, which is always a relief, made for such a wonderful Christmas present for me, “ Ms Hornerman said.
This year, 384 mums gave birth before they could reach hospital, of which 240 babies were delivered by paramedics who arrived during labour, 100 were born solely with the assistance of phone operators — and 44 couldn’t even reach the phone to call for help before their babies arrived.
NSW Ambulance Control Centre Manager Tim Collins had advice for dads forced to deliver their children.
“Advice includes placing the mother in the most comfortable position, guiding when to push, and supporting the baby as it makes its way into the world,” Mr Collins said.
Other suggestions included making sure mum doesn’t sit on the toilet, telling her to take deep breaths between contractions while assuring her help is on the way and resisting the temptation to cut the cord.