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Baby born in Utah jail with help of guards

“As we went into the cell, we could see the baby’s head,” Twitchell said.
prison-baby

 

WEBER COUNTY, Utah -- It was a first for the Weber County jail. Just a few weeks ago, corrections officers delivered a baby.

The 34-year-old mother was seven months pregnant when she was booked into jail after her bail was revoked. Just five days later, she was giving birth on the floor of her jail cell.

Corrections officer Jami Twitchell got the emergency call around 8:30 that night and says the urgency was clear.

"She said there was something wrong and I could hear some screaming in the background," Twitchell said.

Twitchell was one of two corrections officers to run in.

"As we went into the cell, we could see the baby's head," Twitchell said.

The mom was on all fours.

"She was really scared, nervous. She was shaking," Twitchell said.

With the head sticking out, the officers waited for the medical staff to arrive.

"I’m just kind of cradling the baby's head and we're keeping the mom covered with blankets and keeping her calm," Twitchell said.

However, by the time the medical staff arrived, which included registered nurse Ashlee Chappell, the baby was already on its way out.

"Right as medical got there, the baby came out and I caught the baby," Twitchell said.

"You hear that cry, and that cry for the first time was like, what a relief, oh my gosh, this baby's okay," Chappell said.

Within a matter of minutes, a new life enters the world.

"It was a girl with a full head of dark brown hair. Really pretty," Twitchell said.

The baby's with family now, and the mom is doing great. Now a corrections officer and a nurse can add delivering babies to their resume.

"I’ve had my own children so I was just there to help her," Twitchell said. "I really didn't know what I was doing. I was just doing the best that I could."

"Highlight of my career," Chappell said. "I don`t think I've ever had anything that's been more rewarding."

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