SNOW baby Benjamin James had a dramatic entrance into the world – delivered in the back of a 4×4 in a lay-by off the Bromsgrove Highway.
And his grandmother Maureen Morrell has been hailed as the hero of the hour after not just successfully delivering him but also untangled his umbilical cord from around his neck.
The drama unfolded on Thursday, March 1, when the entire region lay under a thick blanket of snow.
Proud dad Damon James said his partner Beth Blundall, a nursery nurse, started to feel contractions and, due to the weather – it was snowing heavily – they decided to leave their home near Tardebigge and take their son Oliver, who’ll be two in April, to Beth’s mum’s.
Damon’s grandfather, Ian Morrell, who has a 4×4, then picked them up from Webheath and they set off down the Bromsgrove Highway to get to Worcestershire Royal Hospital.
However they didn’t get very far.
“We had to pull into a lay-by and my hero Nan there delivered Ben in the back of the car, all within around five minutes, while my Grandad was on the phone to the emergency services,” said Damon, a quantity surveyor.
“When Benjamin’s head came out he had the cord around his neck but my Nan sorted that out – and it was her first delivery.
“Beth did amazingly too, even wondering why I hadn’t managed to take a photo during the birth.
“Hats off to the paramedics who, due to the travel conditions, could not reach us for what seemed the longest 20 minutes of my life but then got everything checked out and got us across to Worcester safely where the three of us stayed the night,” added Damon.
Ben entered the world at 9.02pm and tipped the scales at 8lb 2oz.
“It’s still a bit of a blur and surreal – the 4×4 was a mess, and I’ve been contemplating the cost of a new coat for my Nan…” said Damon.
However after being fully valeted Ian’s car brought the family home, all none the worse for their adventure.
Better still Benjamin was given the middle name Ian.
