HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- A 911 dispatcher in Henrico County is being credited for helping a man when his wife went into labor early Sunday morning.
"He sees the head of the baby come out, then he calls 911," explained proud grandfather Thinh Nquyen.
Ashley Sauer, a dispatcher for Henrico County, was surprised when she answered the call.
"He was a lot calmer than most people would be if your wife was having a baby right there in the house," Sauer explained.
Ashley Sauer
Sauer, who has nearly six years behind the emergency dispatch console, said this was the first time she has been called on to help deliver a baby over the phone.
"It's one of those things that you know always has the potential to happen, but you always think somebody else will get that. This time it was me," she said.
On Sunday, Sauer used one of her computers to pop up critical medical instructions she relayed to the expectant dad.
"Just help her into a comfortable position," she said. "If the baby's coming out, don't pull on it, just let it come naturally. Once its delivered, don't pull the cord."
Sauer said the expectant dad remained calm and then she heard him say "the head's coming out."
After that Sauer believes he dropped the phone down and she was not sure what was happening.
But then the father picked up the phone and said: "The baby's here, the baby's here."
Nquyen said both the baby and her mother are doing very well.
The little girl
Before hanging up, Sauer said she could hear the mom talking to her newborn baby in her native language.
"It was really sweet, it was cute," she said.
Dispatchers admit nine out of ten calls they receive are from people having the worst day or experience of their life. So this call made for a welcome change for Sauer.
"It was kind of nice to be on the happy side of things once, to be part of one of the best days of some bodies life, that was pretty cool to me," Sauer said.
