Proud parents thank Welsh Ambulance Service for safe arrival of little Corey

CHILDBIRTH can be dramatic at the best of times, so imagine the surprise of mother-to-be April Smith when she began to give birth on the toilet. The 22-year-old, of Connah’s Quay, was already 11 days overdue when her waters broke in the early hours of the morning.

But little Corey decided he did not want to wait for the midwife or an ambulance, and was delivered at home on Cotterill Close by his father Andrew Bellis, with the help of 999 call taker Glenda Jones.

Andrew, 32, said: “I was fast asleep and the next thing I heard was ‘Andrew, Andrew!’ I ran into the bathroom and there was April clutching at her stomach, and the baby was crowning. I dialled 999 and the call taker told me to get some clean towels, and gave me instructions on how to deliver him.”

But joy turned to panic when the couple discovered that their new arrival was not breathing.

Andrew said: “You could see that he was struggling to breathe, and I had to give him mouth-to-mouth. The ambulances were outside before we knew it.”

Andrew, an industrial cleaner in Flint, dialled 999 shortly before 2.50am and an Emergency Ambulance arrived at their home, followed by a Rapid Response Vehicle and a second Emergency Ambulance.

Paramedic PJ Pritchard and his colleague Emergency Medical Technician Daniel Myers then resuscitated the baby. Daniel said: “We were en route to the call and had a message to say the baby had been born but wasn’t breathing. We arrived on the scene and began to resuscitate the baby, and slowly but surely he came round. What felt like an eternity was probably only two or three minutes.We cut the cord and took mother and baby to hospital.”

April and Corey, who weighed 8lb 2oz, were taken to the Countess of Chester Hospital and have since returned home. Call taker Glenda Jones, who is based at the Clinical Contact Centre in Llanfairfechan, took the 999 call and talked Andrew through how to deliver his baby. She said: “It was a very difficult call, and daunting for me in the beginning. I’m just so pleased that there was a positive outcome, and I wish the family well.” The couple, who also have a three-year-old daughter Libby Louise, and baby Corey, who is now five-weeks-old (born June 2), have offered their thanks to the Welsh Ambulance Service.

April said: “Andrew was frantic, and could not have delivered the baby without help from the call taker. The crews were very reassuring as well. We owe them a big thanks.”