A brave eight-year-old Florida girl successfully helped delivery her baby brother as her mother went into early labor at home on Monday, calmly following the instructions of a 911 dispatcher.
The dramatic turn of events, which occurred around 7am after 29-year-old expectant mom Krystle Garcia called 911, was caputred on audio, with the panic-stricken Tampa Bay woman saying she was bleeding excessively.
As Tampa Fire Rescue dispatched paramedics to the home, it was up to Garcia’s daughter, Jazmine McEnaney, to take the reins of the delivery.
‘She’s in so much pain,’ the little says at the start of the recording, according to The Tampa Bay Times.
‘Can you get some dry towels and a blanket to wrap the baby in and try to find a string or shoelace and maybe a safety pin, if you can?’ she told Jazmine.
911 dispatchers follow a protocol in such circumstances.
The string of shoelace is used to tie off the umbilical chord, while the safety pin would be used to tear the amniotic sac – or bag of waters – if it has not broken naturally.
The dispatcher guided the two as the baby started to emerge, with Jazmine following instructions to hold the boy’s head and support his shoulders.
‘Oh my God, she’s freaking out – she’s only 8 years old,’ Garcia said on the recording.
But Jazmine kept it together, with paramedics arriving within minutes and taking over.
The baby was delivered at the house before mother and son were transferred to Tampa General Hospital in good condition, according to Fire Rescue.
The boy was named Joseph James Snyder.
After the birth, Garcia said it was the composure of the dispatcher that ensured everything went smoothly – and that she couldn’t have done it without her daughter.
‘If it wasn’t for her being calm as she was, it would’ve been a lot worse,’ she said.
‘Even though she was telling her what to do, that’s a lot for an 8-year-old.’
After the fright, Jazmine wasn’t leaving her mother’s side.
‘I think it’s something that’s brought us closer,’ Garcia said.
