Baby delivered by Air National Guard officer outside Walter Reed
BETHESDA, Md. - Christmas came early for one family last month, when they welcomed their baby into the world with an unforgettable delivery.
What we know:
A man rushed into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on December 23, 2015, saying his wife was in labor in their car, and that the baby was coming immediately.
That's when Capt. April McClung, a nurse assigned to the130th Airlift Wing, West Virginia Air National Guard, rushed outside to help.
She found the mother kneeling in the front passenger seat with the baby already crowning and a toddler crying in a car seat.
McClung coached the mother to control her breathing as she helped the father deliver the baby, then advised a physician on how to safely reduce the umbilical cord found wrapped around the baby's neck.
The baby and the mother were both safely transferred inside the hospital for further care.
What they're saying:
McClung was an obstetrics nurse for 28 years, with experience in emergency care.
"I knew that if the mother had just a little help, she would deliver her baby safely, and that keeping the baby warm would be critical," she said in a recent article.
The experience was a "deeply meaningful" one for the Air National Guard officer.
"I knew this was a special and sacred moment for the mother and father, and I was honored to help," she said. "Being so close to Christmas made it even more special."
The Source: Information from this article was sourced from the 130th Airlift Wing website.