PROVO, Utah — Imagine having to pull over to the side of the road because you just went into labor. That’s what happened to Lindsey Porter.
One of Utah’s newest residents was born on the border of Provo and Orem, on the side of a freeway in a unique way.
“I still don’t feel like it was real,” said Porter. On Tuesday, she went into labor and was going to the hospital with her husband, Kevin, and 3-year-old daughter.
“I was like, Kevin, she’s coming—we’re not going to make it," Porter said. "He was like, well don’t stop pushing. And so I got very calm and just let my body do it, and got her head out first and then let the rest of it happen . . . I sat down and I told Kevin, just pull over and call 911.”
It was at the University Parkway exit on I-15 that Kevin and Lindsey pulled over when it was clear they weren't going to make it to the hospital. They called 911, and Amber Vera answered the phone.
“As soon as I verified where he was, he was like, it’s here, the baby’s here, and so, it was like a huge shock because I wasn’t expecting it,” said Vera, who has been a dispatcher with Metro Dispatch for eight years.
Vera said she was on the phone with Kevin and Lindsey trying to make sure mom and baby were getting the aftercare they needed before medics were on the scene.
“Baby was there, I was giving him instructions on making sure the baby was breathing. I could hear the baby crying, we checked on mom,” said Vera.
And Kevin Porter says he couldn’t do it without Vera.
“I’m really grateful for Amber because I was the one freaking out the most, and she was the most calming thing for me,” said Porter, who said she helped him make it through it.
“Many times in dispatch, you don’t know how your interaction with a caller is going to affect them," said Vera. "So to get that feedback, it’s just very, like I know where I’m supposed to be. And I love my job and I love being able to help people."
The Porter family is still trying to process what happened.
“We were so prepared. We had everything in the car for weeks. To me, fast labor is three to four weeks, not 50 minutes, how does that happen?" said Porter.
"Never in a million years is something I thought would happen to us."
But at the end of the day, this is the best outcome that any of them could have hoped for.
“A lot of times in dispatch, we deal with a lot of negative things. People don’t call 911 because they’re having a good day. So, to get a call like that and be able to be a part of something so amazing, bringing life into this world, it was beautiful,” said Vera.
