Two paramedics assisted a passenger in giving birth to a healthy 5.5-pound (2.5 kg) baby girl on a Delta Air Lines flight from Atlanta just before the Boeing 737 landed at Portland International Airport in Oregon on Friday night. The unexpected delivery occurred approximately 20 minutes before touchdown, with the baby arriving about two weeks early.
Quick Thinking and Improvisation
The paramedics, Tina Fritz and Kaarin Powell, were returning home from a vacation in the Dominican Republic. They were initially helping a nurse attend to another passenger when a flight attendant asked them to check on Ashley Blair, who was in labor. Blair, from Tennessee, was traveling to Oregon to be with her mother for the birth but went into labor about 30 minutes from Portland.
Fritz and Powell realized Blair's contractions were intensifying quickly. With a full flight of 153 passengers (soon to be 154), they moved nearby passengers to create space for the delivery. They requested blankets and an obstetrical kit from flight attendants, but neither was available. Improvising, they obtained blankets from other passengers and used a shoelace from a flight attendant to tie off the umbilical cord. Powell also removed a lace from her own shoe to use as a tourniquet for an IV.
A Dramatic Delivery
As the plane prepared to land, Blair announced it was time to push. Despite instructions from flight attendants to sit down for landing, the paramedics continued assisting. Blair delivered the baby with three strong pushes, and Powell cut the umbilical cord. Powell held the baby as the wheels touched the runway. Fritz noted that the baby "pinked up right away" and praised Blair as "a rock star."
After the plane taxied to the jetway, the baby was handed to Blair, and passengers celebrated with photos. Portland Airport Fire & Rescue responded and confirmed the mother and baby were healthy, transporting them to a local hospital for observation. Delta Air Lines thanked the crew and medical volunteers, stating that customer health and safety is their top priority.
