Baby Delivered in Monmouth University Parking Lot

West Long Branch, NJ - This was one Christmas baby that just couldn’t wait.

These two EMTs delivered a baby boy in the parking lot of Monmouth University Wednesday morning, and were life-savers as well, as the child’s umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck, Long Branch EMS supervisor Judi Scibetti tells Patch in this exclusive story.

“We got a call Tuesday morning to go to Bed, Bath & Beyond on Highway 36 in Eatontown for a woman in labor,” Scibetti said.

The woman and her husband live in Jackson, and were on their way to Monmouth Medical Center, as mom knew the baby was coming. However, they were forced to pull over in the store parking lot because they were worried they wouldn’t make it to the hospital in time.

The husband called 911, and EMTs Laura Thrall, 27, and Charlie Rivera, 25, responded. They helped the woman, in her 30s, to the ambulance and were driving to the hospital when the woman said, “I feel the urge to push,” said Scibetti.

Rivera, who is also a volunteer Holmdel firefighter, pulled over into the Monmouth University parking lot off Cedar Avenue and Thrall checked. Sure enough, the baby was crowning.

There was just one problem: The baby had its umbilical cord wrapped around its neck.

“Laura did what she was trained to do. With her gloved hand, she removed the cord from around the baby’s throat and, as he came out, she was able to pull it up and over the baby’s head,” said Scibetti.

Thrall also volunteers for Bayshore EMS in Matawan-Aberdeen.

The healthy baby boy entered this world at about 8:30 a.m. Both mother and child were transported to Monmouth University Medical Center, where they are doing fine, Scibetti said. This is the woman’s fourth child.

“These EMTs have been on cloud 9 all day,” she said, referring to Rivera and Thrall. Scibetti trained both Rivera and Thrall through MONOC. “I’m really proud of both of them.”

Photo courtesy of Laura Thrall.