A mother from Melkbosstrand has named her newborn baby after a police officer who went above and beyond the call of duty to her when she was in labour.
Police Sergeant Debi Alard is a firm fan of popular medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, and used the knowledge gathered from years of watching to assist the labouring mom and deliver her baby, a beautiful, healthy girl.
Alard collected the still-pregnant mommy from the Varkplass informal settlement last Thursday after a concerned neighbour called to report that she was in extreme pain.
Alard decided to collect the pregnant woman and take her to the victim support room at the local police station to make it easier for the ambulance paramedics to transport her to a hospital when they arrived to collect her. However, after making sure the woman was comfortable in the room and leaving, she heard the woman’s screams from the room intensify.
“I knew something was happening but never thought that by the end of my shift I would deliver a baby,” Alard told News24. “I phoned the ambulance services again who said the woman was on their list, although they couldn’t say when they would arrive. We realised we had to get ready because this baby wasn’t going to wait for the professionals to arrive.”
A paramedic eventually arrived, but it was too late to go to the hospital; Alard and the medic worked together to turn the sleeper couch in the support room into a double bed, creating a makeshift labour ward. They also found clothing and blankets in the station for the baby.
“Then I saw her water break. The medic told me she couldn’t do it alone and I had to help. So, I jumped in,” she said. “The little one’s head was out so I pressed on her abdomen to help get the baby into the world. Soon, the shoulders came out and she could breathe.”
“When she cried, I knew everything was okay. I counted her fingers and toes – all were there. Mommy was fine, smiling and all over her beautiful baby. All was well,” she added. “It was an experience. Luckily, I watch Grey’s Anatomy, so I know a little bit about these things, but this was live. It happened quickly, not just over an hour like a normal episode,” she said jokingly.
The new mom named the infant Dione Debbie Lucas in honour of Alard.
“I’m so proud that they gave her my name. She is my little namesake. She is beautiful, healthy and weighs 3.7kg,” Alard said.
Picture: Debi Alard/Facebook