Just days after giving birth to her daughter, Aubree, in the front seat of her car in Bradford West Gwillimbury, Edin Jackson said she is still in shock.
The Innisfil woman’s partner, Andrew Fagan, was driving her to Southlake Regional Health Centre on Friday, with her contractions about 12 minutes apart, when her water broke and suddenly the contractions sped up to a minute apart.
“My water broke during a contraction. The pain was excruciating,” she said.
The couple called 911 and were instructed to pull over. They made it as far as Bridge Street in BWG and pulled into the parking lot outside Bradford Rental Sales & Service Ltd.
“We pulled into the parking lot, not thinking I would deliver the baby on the side of the road,” she said.
Four BWG firefighters arrived at the scene and supported Fagan as he assisted Jackson through her contractions and into a comfortable sitting position in the front passenger seat of their SUV.
Fagan said he was excited but nervous as the baby started to crown and he realized he would have to assist in the delivery.
“I did everything up until the paramedics came in. I was looking forward to when the paramedics arrived. I was more concerned for Edin and the baby,” he said.
A team from York Region Paramedic Services arrived just in time.
“Within one or two pushes and contractions, Aubree was delivered,” said Fagan.
Within 15 minutes of the 911 call, baby Aubree Jackson-Fagan was born.
“I did not think it would happen so fast. We’re still in shock about the whole thing,” Jackson said, adding she was induced and in labour for 26 hours with her first daughter, Ella.
Despite the dramatic event, Aubree and Jackson did so well with the delivery, the paramedics gave her the option of delivering her placenta on-site, which would make Aubree a Simcoe County baby, or to deliver it at Southlake to make her a York Region baby.
Jackson chose the hospital, so the family was taken to Southlake, where she had planned to deliver Aubree by the same doctor who had delivered her.
Fagan was also still able to cut the umbilical cord.
The family’s hospital stay was just more than 24 hours long before they got to head home on May 26, Jackson said.
Though the dramatic event is over, the parents have a busy household with four children, Braedan, 16, Hudson, 13, Ella, 2, and now Aubree, four days old.
They want to thank all the emergency responders, including the 911 dispatcher and Bradford firefighters, who helped them.
“We’re doing awesome,” Jackson said. “Aubree is such a miracle.”
