From KSAX-TV
HOLDINGFORD, Minn. - With an ambulance on the way, Holdingford firefighter Kelly Kobernusz arrived at Sarah Andersen's home just in time to deliver her son, Hunter.
Andersen and her fiance, Bill Shank of Holdingford, had several false alarms while waiting for their son to be born, but when they finally knew it was time, early Friday morning, there was little time to prepare.
"(Bill was) getting my other two children ready to go to the hospital and (I) just knew it was time to have the baby, so then I had him call 9-1-1," Andersen said.
"You do all the planning and preparation to make sure everything goes well, but it's never up to you, I guess. it's up to the baby and the forces at hand to let you know what's gonna happen," Shank said.
With the ambulance about 30 minutes away, the Holdingford Fire Department was called, and Kelly Kobernusz was first on the scene.
"I came in, and she was obviously in heavy labor at the time ... and things were progressing," Kobernusz said.
"As soon as (Kobernusz) opened the door, the baby was starting to come out already. So he didn't even have time to come around the couch. He just sort of leaned over the couch. I was kneeling on the floor and we delivered the baby," Shank said.
Dorin Rausch, the fire department's medical officer was next on the scene. She became an Emergency Medical Technician in Dec. and got to experience the fire department's first delivery along with several others who came to help.
"When I got in there, Kelly was out the door. He needed some air, and that was fine," Rausch said. "The baby was breathing fine, color was good, moving his arms and legs. It was great."
"(We are) Very lucky that Kelly got here when he did," Andersen said.
"CPR; you can practice, bandaging, bleeding; you can practice all those scenarios. But you can't really practice childbirth," Kobernusz said.
"(I am) still surprised it happened the way it did. And (Hunter) has the nickname of 'Couch potato' now," Andersen said.
"Everyone was healthy and happy, and it worked the way it was supposed to, and you can't say anything else," Kobernusz said. "It's just perfect."
Andersen and baby Hunter went to the hospital in Albany, about 25 minutes after he was born, but were able to leave on Saturday. Anderson said Hunter is healthy and spends most of his time sleeping.
Written for the web by Joe Nelson.
jonelson@ksax.com
