KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WOKI / WVLT) – What began as a late-night drive to the hospital turned into an unforgettable roadside delivery for a Union County family after a baby girl was born before first responders could arrive.
Sarah Powers said she left her Union County home with her husband, Ivan, around 1 a.m. Monday, hoping to make it to the hospital in time to deliver their daughter, Laiklynn.
However, as contractions intensified, Powers quickly realized they would not arrive in time.
“I was moaning and groaning having bad contractions. I kept saying I need to push, but I just kept holding back as much as I could,” Powers said.
As the couple approached the area of Broadway and Old Broadway in Knoxville, Powers said the situation became urgent.
“Then we got right to the interstate at Broadway and Old Broadway, I yelled, ‘Pull over, I can’t hold it anymore. I got to push!'”
Her husband immediately pulled into the parking lot of the PureMagic Car Wash, called 911 and prepared to help deliver the baby.
Powers said Ivan rushed to the passenger side of the vehicle and caught the baby as she was born.
The delivery became even more tense when the couple discovered the umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby’s neck.
Powers said her husband carefully removed the cord before placing the newborn on her chest while following instructions from a 911 dispatcher.
She then began rubbing and patting the baby’s back while wrapping her in a blanket that happened to be in the vehicle from their three-year-old child.
About 10 minutes later, an ambulance arrived at the scene.
Powers said emergency medical crews guided her through the final stages of delivery, including delivering the placenta.
“I was told I could continue to push for the placenta, so I pushed and the placenta came out,” Powers said. “They placed it on my lap, then they clamped it off and Ivan cut the cord on the side of the road.”
Following the roadside birth, Powers and her daughter were transported to the hospital’s labor and delivery unit, where both underwent medical evaluations.
“We got all the tests done to make sure both of us were good and we were both healthy and thriving,” Powers said. “It was definitely an unexpected experience!”
Baby Laiklynn weighed 7 pounds and measured approximately 18¼ inches long.
As of Monday evening, Powers said both she and her newborn daughter were healthy, doing well and resting at the hospital.
