Edwardsville dispatcher coaches dad to deliver early baby
An Edwardsville 911 Operator helped a local family deliver their baby when he surprised them five weeks early.
Posted — Updated"The baby is coming out of her right now," said father Donald Watkins on the taped 911 call.
Watkins said the mother, Amanda Schaefer, wasn't feeling well in the early morning hours of July 18.
"Kept being stubborn, kept getting worse and worse and before I knew it I couldn't really even get up and move," said Schaefer.
Watkins called 911 and operator Jason Eberhard answered.
"Your training kicks in and you have to do what you have to do," said Eberhard.
Eberhard told Watkins to gather a safety pin, shoelace or string and towel. Watkins gathered those items so quickly he's been given the nickname "MacGyver" at the Edwardsville Police Department.
Baby Caiden Isaiah was born healthy and happy with the help from Operator Eberhard on the line and the first responders who arrived minutes after the 911 call to the house.
Eberhard said this is only the second time he got the opportunity in his 14-year career as a telecommunicator to meet someone he helped.
"A lot of times we rely on what the police officers come in and tell us, this will be a great closure for me getting to meet the family and getting to meet the baby," said Eberhard.
Mom and Dad also have some advice for expecting parents: "I would say don't try it at home, it's not something you want to do yourself, but we got lucky we really did especially being as early as he was," said Watkins.
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