“Fun Facts Saturday”
Sunday morning, November 8, 1981, I was awakened at 3:30 am by noises in the bathroom. Donna was putting on her makeup, preparing to go to the hospital. She was having contractions, which were about 12 minutes apart.
The contractions quickened to six minutes apart. It was now about 4:30 am. I called the Kaiser Hospital to let them know we were coming. However, the patronizing nurse told me to relax and call back in about an hour. I then rushed our two daughters to my parents’ house and promptly returned to our Cynthia Circle, Garden Grove, apartment.
Donna’s contractions became stronger and faster. I called the hospital again, and the condescending nurse told me to calm down, and call back in an hour.
Suddenly, after two heavy contractions, Donna said she had needed to push. It was now 5:00 am. I called the hospital. This time, the same nurse took me seriously and told us to get to the hospital “ASAP.”
We started walking to our car at a snail’s pace. We got only a few apartments away when Donna’s water broke. The baby was crowning. Donna could go no further. She lied down on the wet, cold grass, and told me that I would need to deliver the baby.
I raced to the apartment of our friends Kim and Richard W. When Kim came to the door, I told her to call the paramedics, and I needed Richard’s help getting Donna into the apartment. However, Richard ran past me and out to the street, in order to direct the paramedics. I still needed help.
I sprinted to the apartment of our friends Richard and Nancy S. Rich helped me carry Donna into their apartment. We laid her on the kitchen floor. Nancy was pregnant with her first child.
I washed up and knelt, ready to deliver the baby. Then, I suddenly heard “the sweet sound of sirens.” The paramedics had arrived. I sat cross-legged on the carpet, with Donna’s head in my lap and her body on the kitchen tiles.
The paramedic Jim P. was very skilled. He discovered that the umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby’s neck, which could have been fatal. I would have completely forgotten to check. Kimberly held a wall mirror, so Donna could witness the delivery.
At 5:25 am, one hour after my first call to the hospital. The paramedic announced: “It’s a girl!” Donna replied, “But I already have two at home.” Another paramedic estimated the baby’s weight at 6 lbs. She was 10 lbs. and 3 ounces.
By this time, the entire apartment complex had gathered. Our manager burst upon the scene, brandishing a shotgun, yelled “What’s going on out here?”
Donna was first transported to the old Palm Harbor Hospital, where they refused to treat her, believing she tried, and failed, to do a home delivery. We were grateful when she was transferred to Kaiser Canyon General. Because our daughter had been born in a non-sterile environment, Donna and baby had a private room together on the top floor.
Donna and I had gobs of girl’s names picked out for our new baby. However, since the paramedic who delivered her was named “Jim,” we decided to use the “J” name “Joanna.” Since Kimberly W. was a “ministering angel” throughout, we chose “Kimberly” for Joanna’s middle name.
God bless friends and paramedics!
(Joanna served a mission in Brazil, graduated from BYU and George Washington in International Relations, and works in the D.C. area gathering open source information for government agencies.)
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