Rookie taxi driver delivers baby in car

AP on Yahoo ^ | 11/12/05 | AP - Chicago

[NormsRevenge]

LISLE, Ill. - Nedal Haddad of Chicago understood his new job as a cab driver entailed delivery — taking passengers from one point to another, that is. He couldn't have imagined it involved delivering babies.

That's what happened Friday, about a week into his new job, when the 37-year-old picked up a pregnant woman in suburban Plainfield and began driving her to nearby Edward Hospital.

Before they could arrive at the Naperville hospital, the woman — whose mother and sister were also in the cab — began giving birth.

"She said, 'I think I'm going to have the baby,'" he later recalled her saying. "I said, 'You better not.'"

Haddad, who immediately pulled onto the shoulder of Interstate 88 near Lisle, said the woman's relatives started screaming and were too panicked to offer assistance. So he ordered them out of the car, rushed to the back seat and delivered the baby himself.

A father of three children, Haddad said he had never been in the delivery room with his wife. All he knew about childbirth came from watching a show on the Discovery Channel, said Haddad, who came to the United States 19 years ago from Jordan.

After the delivery, paramedics arrived, cut the umbilical cord and took the newborn girl to Edward Hospital. She weighed 6 pounds, 14 ounces and "is doing fine," Dr. Peter Weeks said.

The mother, who asked not to be identified, said the girl has been named Gabrielle.

"She is a beautiful baby girl," she said. "As you can imagine, it has been quite an amazing day."

Haddad not only helped deliver the girl, he also offered another gift of sorts. He waived the $60 cab fare.

[NormsRevenge]

This photo made available Saturday, Nov. 12, 2005 by Edward Hospital in Naperville, Ill. shows baby Gabrielle, born Friday, Nov. 11, 2005 after her mother gave birth in a taxicab en route to the hospital. When Gabrielle's mother realized she was having the baby, taxi driver Nedal Haddad immediately pulled onto the shoulder of the highway. He said the woman's relatives started screaming and were too panicked to offer assistance, so he ordered them out of the car, rushed to the back seat and delivered the baby himself. (AP Photo/Edward Hospital)

[NormsRevenge]

Jordanian immigrant, 19 years ago. 3 kids... he should look into midwifing .. Good work, Nedal!

[timsbella]

Beautiful. Amid all the crummy things going on in the news, this is very heartwarming. Had to happen in America!

[teenyelliott]

And no father anywhere to be seen. Go figure.

[martin_fierro]

I just KNEW you were a big ol' softie, Nammie. Posting stories like this.

Hella cute baby.

< |:)~

[SteveMcKing]

Some lawyer will butt in soon and find something wrong with this.

He will probably be sued, mark my words.

[Lancer_N3502A]

Excellent! I helped deliver a baby on the side of the road in Korea so I know how he feels.

[commonasdirt]

Just saw it on the evening news. Great story. Great cabby.

[elli1]

And no father anywhere to be seen. Go figure.

I figure that one possibility is that father could be in Iraq.

[NormsRevenge]

Thanks for mentioning Andy Griffith.

(Jason Reed/Reuters)

U.S. President George W. Bush (R) presents his Presidential Medal of Freedom to actor Andy Griffith at a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, November 9, 2005.

[TNdandelion]

HAH. Great story. Reminds me of when my youngest was born. I was in the hospital and they had just checked my progress. Suddenly, she was ready to be born and the doc ran back down the hall & the nurse, doctor and tech were telling me not to push

Um....yeah. I don't think the doc got his gloves on until AFTER she was born and I just remember towels flying and people yelling.

You just can't hold those kids back, folks!LOL

[festus]

Wow thats what triple meter rates. Pretty pricey I bet. Still cheaper than going to the hospital I guess......

[jordan8]

I sense a fatwa coming.

[Razz Barry]

"The mother, who asked not to be identified, said the girl has been named Gabrielle."

My guess is mom's an illegal immigrant.

[Eepsy]

LOL!

When my first was born, my husband had double parked, so after helping me fill out forms, the nurse sent him back outside to get a proper spot. Well, five minutes later I have the Doctor telling me "You can have the baby right now, or we can give you an epidural and it might delay it long enough for your husband to get back from the parking lot."