FORT CAVAZOS, Texas - In the early hours of the morning, a unique drama unfolded in the quiet of the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center labor and delivery entrance and hospital parking lot. Eric Chung, OB-GYN, and Rosa Reyes, labor and delivery nurse, CRDAMC, found themselves in an extraordinary situation, delivering a baby in the front seat of a car just moments after finishing their night shift.
It was a scene straight out of a movie, but for Chung, Reyes, and the mother-to-be, Spc. Jody-Ann Blanchard, bridge crew engineer, 20th Eng. Bn., 36th Eng. Bde., it was a reality they would never forget.
As Chung and Reyes were both getting off their shifts at 7 a.m. and exiting the elevators, Reyes encountered Blanchard’s sister, Keisha Hall, at the hospital doors asking for a wheelchair.
After looking back at the car Hall screamed, “y’all need to come with me now, my sister is having the baby in the car”.
Reyes yelled for Chung, the two yelled for others getting off their shifts to get an emergency team to the parking lot, emergency messages were passed through the hospitals messaging systems, and the three ran to the car in the parking lot.
Arriving at the car the two found mom already in labor and the baby on the way.
Within minutes, at 7:02 a.m. on April 13, the cry of a new life echoed through the stillness of the morning. In the front seat of a car, amidst the backdrop of a hospital parking lot, baby, Avaliyah Sweden, a.k.a. Blessing, entered the world, welcomed by the gentle hands of Chung and Rosa.
Her first time delivering a baby outside of a delivery room, Reyes described the experience as different and a little odd, but always amazing to have the delivery go so quickly.
“She did an amazing job, that momma did,” said Reyes. “It was perfect timing for us walking out the door. What an amazing blessing for her.”
For Blanchard, the presence of Chung and Reyes was a reassurance in the midst of chaos. Their calm demeanor and reassuring words provided a sense of stability during a moment that felt overwhelmingly uncertain.
Blanchard described Chung and Reyes as “an amazing team”.
“They were able to deliver baby girl, and the transition team did an excellent job to make sure that Blessing was well taken care of,” she added.
As Chung cared for mom, Reyes cared for baby Blessing as the emergency room and a labor and delivery team arrived shortly after the delivery. The team quickly transferred mom and baby safely out of the car and into the hospital.
Reyes joked that getting off shift, she told Chung that he had an easy and quiet night and that he would now get to go home and get some sleep.
For Chung and Reyes, it was a reminder of why they had chosen their noble profession. Beyond the long hours and the relentless demands, moments like these reaffirmed their purpose, serving as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.
His first time delivering a baby outside of a hospital, this was a unique experience for Chung as well.
“It kind of felt like something that we do all the time, but also really different, because normally we deliver in the hospital’s-controlled setting, so this was kind of frantic and chaotic delivering in the passenger seat of a car,” said Chung.
A new chapter begins for Blanchard, her family, and for Chung and Reyes. Their extraordinary delivery in the quiet of a hospital parking lot would forever be etched in their memories as a testament to the power of compassion and the miracles that unfold in the most unexpected of places.