By NICOLE LAFOND
The (Champaign) News-Gazette
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — When Tanisha Staple greeted Lt. Wally Worley and Champaign Fire engineers Bill Albin and Barry Miller at the station, she was a little less stressed than the last time she saw them.
Same goes for Bella, her baby daughter.
Meeting for the first time since Worley, Albin and Miller helped deliver Bella in Staple's Champaign home, the three grown men melted at the sight of the little girl in her green tu-tu, with a big white flower on her head. She stared with bright eyes at the three firefighters, whose memories flashed back to May 4.
Staple had just been sent home from Carle Hospital with a diagnosis of Braxton Hicks — false — contractions. But having done this before — "I was about to go through my third delivery," Staple says — she knew Bella was on her way.
When Staple arrived back home, she immediately started getting sick, then noticed a build-up of blood and pressure when using the restroom. She momentarily thought about trying to drive herself back to the hospital, but instead opted to calm the contraction pains by taking a warm shower for nearly an hour before her cousin finally called an ambulance.
The dispatcher told her to try to remain still and keep the baby inside as long as she could.
Worley, Albin and Miller arrived on the scene a few minutes before the ambulance and tried to persuade Staple to lie down, but there was no way she was having this baby on the floor.
"No matter how many kids you have, it's going to be a nervous moment," she said. "... I was like, 'I'm not laying down,' so I started to try to walk to the door. And next thing I know, I fell against a wall and she literally slid right out."
Miller caught Bella just in time.
"Thank goodness Barry had those gloves that NFL receivers use," Albin joked.
"I remember you had those hardwood floors and I couldn't let her hit the ground," Miller said. "It was a surprise to me, too."
After Bella was delivered, Miller cut her umbilical cord and the three helped load the mother and child into the ambulance and transported them back to Carle, where Mom spent the "normal amount" of recovery hours afterward.
"She was perfectly fine and completely healthy. It was actually my easiest labor ever," she said. "I'm so happy they made it there right on time."
Despite being a bit fussy at birth — Miller felt relieved when he first heard Bella cry, saying, "When you're working on a kid, that's the best sound you can hear" — Staple describes her as a happy baby who already has a strong personality. That much was evident in how quickly she took a liking to all three firefighters, who took turns holding her.
Getting attached to Bella quickly is normal, according to Staple, who says workers at Head Start will give up their lunch break to go visit the bouncing baby.
"Ever since she was born, she's been the best baby ever. She's so good, she's a blessing," her mother said.
"That's because we didn't let you hit your head on the floor," Miller joked while tickling Bella.
Staple, Bella and the rest of the community got the chance to thank the men formally for their service, during the inaugural Edward M. Hoffman Awards Ceremony. The event honors citizens, EMTs, paramedics, firefighters and police officers in Champaign who have demonstrated above-and-beyond service.
Worley, Albin and Miller will all be honored with a Baby Delivery pin.
They're just grateful for the happy ending.
"We don't get to see something nice like this very often," Worley said.
"Usually, we don't hear what happens after we turn them over to the ambulance, so it's good to be able to follow up and see something good," Miller said. "Some good results we helped bring about."
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Source: The (Champaign) News-Gazette, http://bit.ly/1NVaw6H
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Information from: The News-Gazette, http://www.news-gazette.com
This is an AP-Illinois Exchange story offered by The (Champaign) News-Gazette.
