Birth of baby Etta is a first for unit

BABY Etta Reed has made history – after being the first to be born at Clevedon Hospital’s Minor Injury Unit.

Etta’s mum, Joni, 39, realised her baby was going to arrive early when she and her husband Simon were driving along the M5 on September 10.

The couple, from Axbridge in Somerset, were on their way to Oxford to drop Joni’s stepson, Jack, at university, when Etta decided to make a sudden appearance.

That’s when Simon realised they were close to the Clevedon unit, and Etta was born within minutes of their arrival.

Joni said: “I thought we’d better pull over and call 999, but thankfully Simon found the MIU was close to us.

“Had Simon not thought about taking us to the MIU, I wouldn’t have known what to do. Good thing I packed a bag just in case, too, but I forgot the towels.”

Clevedon MIU, which is run by Sirona Care and Health, usually

I can’t thank everyone enough for helping us in our hour of need JONI REED

treats people for minor injuries such as dressing wounds and grazes, sprains, bruises or broken bones.

But staff were delighted to help the mum give birth to Etta, who weighed a healthy 8lb 4oz.

Joni added: “I can’t thank everyone enough for helping us in our hour of need – and it was literally an hour from start to finish.

“It would have been a very different experience had the staff not been as amazing, kind and as helpful as they were.

“We’d like to pass on our huge gratitude and appreciation to everyone, and especially to healthcare assistant Debbie Galbraith who gave me so much encouragement and support. I wouldn’t have got through it without her.”

Staff members who also helped deliver Etta included nurse Sue Muncaster, emergency nurse practitioner Heidi Sutton and paramedic Mark Singleton.

Same-day urgent care clinical manager, Helen Stevens, said: “We all send our congratulations to Joni and Simon on the safe arrival of baby Etta and to thank them for making our day at Clevedon.

“We have never delivered a baby in the unit before, but were all so delighted to have been able to help them.”

Mum and baby were checked over by the maternity team at St Michael’s Hospital in Bristol before being discharged home.