‘You know they’re here for a reason’
Mother performs CPR on one of her triplets, then delivers two more
RYAN MCKENNA
REGINA— A Saskatchewan woman who had to perform CPR on one of her newborn triplets while still in labour with the other two says all three babies are doing awesome.
Danielle Johnston said her triplets, Karlee, Liam and Jack, are in the neonatal intensive care unit at a Regina hospital and will stay there for another two weeks.
“No adverse effects on Karlee at all and they’re all just so strong and healthy,” Johnston said Friday.
Johnston started getting wicked contractions on her bathroom floor at their house near Griffin, about 130 kilometres southeast of Regina, on July 16. Just hours earlier at a doctor’s appointment, Johnston was told everything looked good for 32 weeks.
Karlee was born soon after, although Johnston noticed that the tiny baby’s breathing wasn’t right.
“Her breathing was really shallow and lagging so I just gave her CPR and pumped her chest until the ambulance came,” Johnston said.
It took more than 45 minutes, she said. When paramedics arrived, they put an oxygen mask on Karlee.
Johnston was taken to a hospital in nearby Weyburn before being transported to Regina where she had a caesarean section for Liam and Jack. The two boys were officially born on July 17. Johnston, 34, and her husband Trevor now have seven children.
“Little kids are amazing and I just love ‘em,” she said. “But the chance of having triplets like we did is one in 10,000 naturally like this, so obviously, you know, they’re here for a reason.”
Johnston calls her oldest son Dillon, 15, a hero for his role in their newborns’ births. He called 911 as his mother started the contractions, helped his mother to the couch and wrapped the baby in a blanket.
He also drove the family’s vehicle out to the highway to meet the ambulance.
Johnston said despite the hectic births, she’s happy and doing well.