'Without A Doubt, My Most Meaningful Experience As A Cop'
Tredyffrin Police Sgt. Michelle Major said helping to deliver a baby in a Chesterbrook home affected her more than she expected.
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Police and EMTs responding to a Chesterbrook home for a woman-in-labor call the morning of Feb. 22 faced a dilemma—transport the expectant mother to the hospital, or deliver the baby on the spot. Turns out, someone else was in charge.
"The baby made the decision then and there," Tredyffrin Police Sgt. Michelle Major said.
Baby Brooklyn was born in the living room to mother Brittany Johnson.
Major, who was the first on the scene, and fellow officer Cpl. Allen Dori will be recognized Monday night by the Tredyffrin Township Board of Supervisors for the role they played that day, assisting Berwyn EMS personnel with the delivery.
"I never thought something like this would mean as much to me as it did. It was, without a doubt, my most meaningful experience as a cop," said Major, who has been a police officer for 18 years.
The events unfolded that February morning around 7 a.m. When Major arrived, Johnson was lying on the living room floor. Her teenage niece was on the phone with a 911 operator as her five-year-old daughter hovered nearby.
Major said her training kicked in, and she focused her attention on keeping the mother-to-be calm and the area sterile. Soon, other emergency personnel arrived—Cpl. Dori and members of the Berwyn EMS crew, Scottie Williams, AJ Pizzi, Christopher Bickings and Matthew Kaminski.
"[Williams] did a great job when she got there," Major said. "I was so proud of her watching her do what she did."
As the contractions shortened to just a few minutes apart, the medics prepared to transport Johnson to the hospital, but they never made it out the door. They had her on the gurney for about 30 seconds before the baby came, Major said.
"You do what you train, and this was a perfect example," Major said. "It was a delicate time, a precious life coming into the world. You want to do everything right."
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RosiesDad
8:57 am on Monday, March 18, 2013
Nice job, Michelle!
Bob Byrne
5:23 pm on Monday, March 18, 2013
Congratulations to Sgt. Major and the Berwyn Fire Co. staff. What a perfect example of how professional and incredibly well-trained the first responders of TE are. The community may not always realize it but Tredyffrin and Easttown Police and the Berwyn, Paoli and Radnor fire departments and ambulance crews are among the best-trained and most-caring you'll find anywhere.
It's not only a credit to the officers on the street but to the police chiefs and the leadership of the Berwyn Fire Company (in this case) that all the departments work so well together. They are a shining example of cooperation, skill, training and professionalism.
I hope you never have the need, but if you ever have to call 9-1-1 these are the folks you want coming to your rescue.