On the same morning that Danielle West lost her mother to leukemia, her daughter went into labor. The baby came too quickly to make it to the hospital, so Danielle pulled over and helped deliver him herself! Here, Woman’s World shares her story.
The past several months, doctors had told Danielle West nearly a dozen times that her mom was dying, but every time she rallied back. But this morning was different—just before dawn, leukemia had taken her 73-year-old mom.
“Now, she can finally rest,” Danielle shared her grief with her daughter, Alysa, as they sat at the kitchen table. “The funeral home is going to want a picture,” she said, and the Cherry Hill, New Jersey, realtor scanned her laptop to find one.
But when Danielle glanced up, there was a strange look on her daughter’s face. “Mom…I think we need to go to the hospital, now,” she groaned.
Alysa was pregnant. She wasn’t due for another two weeks, but the baby was ready.
“Let’s go!” Danielle helped Alysa into the car.
“Please hurry!” Alysa urged as she was seized by a contraction.
“We’ll be there in five minutes,” Danielle reassured, pulling out of the driveway and headed to the hospital where her mom lay waiting for the funeral home.
Alysa groaned again as they slowed for a light at the very first intersection — and then she screamed, “My water broke!”
A miracle birth
Danielle threw the car into reverse and spun into a nearby parking lot.
“911 — what’s your emergency?” the dispatcher spoke evenly, but Danielle didn’t share in her calmness.
“My daughter’s in active labor and I’m too shaky to drive!”
Just then, Alysa had another contraction. “The baby’s coming!” she wailed, and when Danielle reached the passenger door, her daughter was trying to climb out.
“No, stay there. The ambulance is on its way,” Danielle said, easing her back to her seat.
“Can you lower the seat?” the dispatcher asked.
Danielle fumbled for the controls, but then froze. She could see the baby’s head!
“He’s crowning!” she cried.
“You’ll have to help ease the baby out,” the operator instructed, and Danielle positioned her hands and spoke as calmly as she could.
“Give me a little push, honey.”
“I’ll try,” Alysa gasped, and only a few seconds later, Danielle was holding her brand-new grandbaby in her arms.
She tucked the precious new life beneath her daughter’s jacket, and rubbed his tiny back through the fabric. “Come on, baby, breathe,” she coaxed.
“You can do it,” Danielle rubbed a bit harder, and then, the sweetest cries filled the air, followed by the wail of sirens.
At the hospital, a nurse spotted Danielle in the waiting room. “You’re back? But I thought your mom — ”
“I’m not here for her. I’m here for my new grandson, Noah,” Danielle smiled, marveling how the one day could begin in sadness and end in joy.
A scheduling problem delayed the elder woman’s funeral two weeks — on baby Noah’s original due date.
“We have quite the story to tell about his birthday and his great-grandmother,” says Alysa.
“Mom loved being the center of attention, but she didn’t want us grieving too long,” laughs Danielle. “So, she arranged to turn the spotlight over to a precious new life.”
