WE TOT THERE ..JUST IN TIME
» Mum’s joy as baby Amy born in car after 90km hospital dash » Dad decked out in PPE as he cradles his little girl for first time
A COUPLE told yesterday of their joy after their bouncing baby girl was born in the back seat of of the car – yards from the hospital doors.
Brave Davina Holland held on in the 90km dash from from their home in Co Monaghan to Dublin’s Rotunda.
But when 7lb 5oz Amy Maisie arrived proud dad Colm had to kit out in coronavirus PPE to cradle her.
He revealed yesterday: “I got to spend an hour with my daughter. It was lovely.”
A COUPLE have told of their baby joy after a very special delivery outside the doors of the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin.
Davina Holland, 32, was facing a nightmare scenario as she was rushed from Carrickmacross in Co Monaghan to Dublin to give birth in the middle of the Covid-19 crisis.
And the little one’s dad Colm told how his daughter “landed” on the back seat of the car just as they pulled up to the maternity hospital.
Davina gave birth to 7lb 5oz Amy Maisie in the back of the family’s Toyota RAV4 outside the maternity wing doors on Thursday morning just after 1am.
Impatient to greet the world, the newborn slid on to the car seat, seconds before a nurse arrived to pick up the bundle of joy.
Amy Maisie came into the world after a 90km race from Carrickmacross to Dublin in 35 minutes.
PROUD
Proud dad Colm wore PPE, surrounded by medics in full protective gear, as he cradled his baby girl for an hour before having to leave due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Colm, who turns 40 today, will get to spend the first full day with his newborn daughter to mark his milestone birthday.
He “booted it” down the M1 on an almost empty tank, according to proud granny, Mary Bellew-marron, 60.
Mary revealed Colm couldn’t even hear the screams of his wife in the back of the car as the engine “roared” during the mad rush.
A beaming Colm told the Irish Sunday Mirror: “When we got near Quinns pub in Drumcondra, Dublin, Davina shouted, ‘I can’t hold it, I can’t hold it, I have to push.’
“I said back ‘Don’t push.’ We pulled up outside the Rotunda doors and a security guard came out.
“I shouted at him to get a nurse or doctor. Davina was in the back of the jeep, shouting for her tracksuit bottoms to be taken off. She was shouting, ‘The baby is coming.’
“Thirty seconds later and, bang, the baby was on the back seat of the car.
“She landed on the seat and then two nurses came out and one picked her up and cut the umbilical cord.
“I stood outside the door watching and doing what I could to help. I wanted to get the baby into the hospital. Then it was a scramble to get her inside and wrapped up.
“I didn’t even know if the baby was a boy or girl but when she got into the hospital, she started to cry and we knew she was OK and we were so grateful.
“I haven’t seen her since she was born and I’m just really excited to meet her again.”
Davina, a teacher at Our Lady’s Secondary School in Castleblayney, woke up at 12.15am on Thursday saying she wasn’t feeling well.
Within minutes Colm was helping her into the jeep – but he realised the
car was almost out of diesel. Colm said: “I dashed up the road in 35 minutes. It was an emergency and I knew I had to get Davina to hospital.
Construction foreman Colm was given PPE, including a gown, mask, hairnet and shoe coverings when he arrived at the hospital. And he said all
She landed on the seat and a nurse cut the umbilical cord
COLM HOLLAND ON HIS DAUGHTER’S ARRIVAL
the staff were wearing PPE, including masks and visors.
He explained: “I understood the PPE was there due to the restrictions and that was totally fine and I respected that. Davina was taken off for stitches and I got to spend an hour with my daughter. It was lovely.
“She’s beautiful, with a big head of hair but then two minutes after Davina came back, I was asked to leave.
“I knew I had to go but I was so emotional and I had to say, ‘I’ll see you soon’ to Davina and the baby and it was very difficult. The staff were fantastic and I was delighted to see Davina’s consultant was there too.
Granny Mary rang gardai in Monaghan and Dublin to ask them to help get the couple to the hospital if they saw them speeding past. She revealed: “It was so dramatic but amazing. I can’t wait to meet my new granddaughter, she’s beautiful – this is like a dream come true and the happy ending we need in these times.
“I said to my daughter ‘can you even imagine how amazing you are?’ “Colm is a calm man and he got through this by staying calm.
“It’s all so dramatic but amazing. Davina is really tired as she hasn’t been sleeping but there’s an awful lot of joy in the family right now.”