The triple-zero operator who helped Dartmouth parents Jono and Alannah Dower deliver their son on the side of the road has praised the couple’s calmness and resourcefulness that night.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It’s the fifth baby in five months Sam Ryan, 24, has helped bring into the world – from the other end of an emergency phone call.
She only started work at the ESTA Burwood call centre at the end of 2017 but seems to have drawn the lucky dip of delivery duties.
“I don’t have any (children of my own) but I have a dog and a niece,” she laughed.
Ms Ryan said the Dowers’ call was her first roadside birth and from the outset she knew there was no time to waste.
“When the call came through I had a feeling it was going to be one of those jobs,” she explained.
“Our priority is patient safety; the first task was to establish their location and get an ambulance organised.
“They were a long way from hospital and from listening to Alannah, it sounded like the birth was going to happen really soon.”
While the second-time parents were clearly scared at the thought of having to deliver their baby by themselves, Ms Ryan said they rose to the occasion.
“Jono was fantastic – he was a champion,” she said.
“My job was to keep them calm, to provide direction and encouragement and to keep Jono on task and focused.
“Out of the five babies I’ve helped deliver, he’s my number one for being receptive to instruction and his level of readiness to help Alannah.”
Ms Ryan said assisting with a birth over the phone was a multi-layered and challenging task.
That’s where her training and closely monitored procedures ensure the right advice is given at the right time.
“We have paramedics in the same room who can provide further medical advice and direction if a situation is outside the box,” Ms Ryan said.
The Dowers’ predicament was a “bit tricky” given the freezing temperatures, minimal lighting and absence of amenities, Ms Ryan explained.
“I could tell in Jono’s voice he was anxious about the delivery but neither of them got overwhelmed,” she said.
“I have so much respect for Alannah – mothers just do a fantastic job of bearing children, let alone in a situation like that.”
As for Ms Ryan, well she was absolutely delighted to hear dad, mum and bub are thriving after the eventful birth.
“There is so much relief once your could hear the baby crying,” she said.
“It’s a big flood of emotions and a big load off your shoulders as well as a wonderful sense of achievement.”
A hairdresser by trade, the bubbly young woman said she had definitely found her calling in the ESTA call centre.
“I like feeling that I can make a difference to people’s lives,” she said.
- Receive our daily newsletter straight to your inbox each morning from The Border Mail. Sign up here
