Arizona woman shares experience of giving birth on the side of a road
MARICOPA, Ariz. (CNN, KYMA/KECY) - An woman from Maricopa, Arizona, is describing the moment she gave birth on the side of the road.
It happened a month ago, and while she and her baby boy are doing fine now, the ordeal she went through nearly cost her her life.
"This is Mister Caden Thomas Vuya. He is a month and a couple days," said Shelby Vuja, Caden's mother.
A bundle of joy cozy in the arms of his mother. It's been an eventful month.
"I was 36 weeks and 4 days," Vuja shared.
Vuja has just gone to her OB-GYN for an ultrasound: "He was breached, so the next day, my doctor wanted me to come in so that we can have a planned birth."
She had been dealing with the flu for a week, but baby was doing good, still three weeks out from his due date, but when she got home, she started getting contractions.
"I was like, you know, this is not going to happen to us tonight, and then God had other plans," Vuja said.
Big sister Ellie stayed home with her uncle, and they headed out.
"Within 10 minutes in the car, boosh, all the water came out right there in the front seat of the vehicle," Vuja added.
Shelby started giving birth, her husband Thomas was still 15 minutes from the hospital.
"Panic and call 911 and they told me to pull over and the dispatcher said that 'if you start tugging on him, you might break his spine, so she has to push,'" Thomas stated.
"And another push, boom, baby was out," Vuja further shared.
Caden was born on January 10 at 12:10 a.m. on Highway 347 at mile marker 186, but they were concerned.
"Still not breathing. Told us how to uh perform CPR. We put him up to my wife's mouth and as soon as she touches his mouth, he starts crying," Thomas expressed.
When asked if that's when he took his first breath, Thomas said: "That's when he took his first breath, yes, and then they just, she just melted and started crying and and just smiling, just super thankful, pretty crazy."
"And here is is," Shelby said.
"I gotta say that God was probably there because I don't know why, but I've had a Bible in my car in the passenger seat for the last five years probably and I've almost taken it out and I was like, 'No it's here for a reason,' and I think that Caden was the reason," Thomas expressed.
The ambulance took mom and baby while dad followed on their way to the hospital where Caden went into the NICU.
"Just because of fast breathing, I mean, he came on the side of the road in a car...30 degree weather, so he needed some extra TLC," Shelby said.
And so did Shelby. In fact, her body was on overload. She was dealing with pneumonia and the flu as the medical staff worked to get her cleaned up.
"My heart stopped on the table. They had to do CPR on me and bring me back to life," Vuja remembered.
Doctors discovered blood clots in her arm, but thankfully they were able to get them out.
"I was in the ICU for nine days and then finally they let me go home," Vuja added.
After all that, Caden finally joined her in going home February 1, his original due date. Caden is now eight pounds, 10 ounces and doing great.
"He's just such a miracle," Thomas expressed.
After a dramatic entrance into the world, the Vuya family is feeling blessed.
"I'm just rocking and rolling with him...And I'm so glad we're all here," Shelby remarked.
"God is very good," Thomas added.
