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gopiscrap

(23,765 posts)
Mon Feb 5, 2024, 10:31 PM Feb 5

The baby, I delivered when I was 19......

The summer I was 19 years old, I was working on a national singing tour for the Lutheran Church. Myself and 6 others went from town to town in a van. One night on our once a week day off, just the guys on the team took the van and went from Evansville, IN to Memphis TN. On our way back to Evansville coming into Owensboro KY about 2 in the morning, a car passed us at a high rate of speed. Very soon that same car was on the side of the road and was smoking, the young man driving it was waving a towel for some one to help him.

We stopped and inside the car was his 17 year old partner pregnant as can be and whose water had just broken. The young man stayed with the car and sent his partner with us to the hospital about 9 miles away. On our way, her little baby was born. Scared the crap out of me, I had no clue about child birth and neither did the other three guys that were with me. We were all aged 19-23.

Once we got her to the hospital and settled, we exchanged names and phone numbers etc. Through the years the parents of Christopher wrote to me and I got to know him. They had made us four honorary Godparents of Christopher. He has struggled in his young adulthood but today he emailed me out of the blue and told me that he has graduated college with a four year degree in computers. I was very happy. I am also grateful to have been a part of that.

I know it's not important in the scheme of poitics but it made my day and I wanted to share.

Thanks Mike C

56 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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The baby, I delivered when I was 19...... (Original Post) gopiscrap Feb 5 OP
Nice! elleng Feb 5 #1
Cool story in a world starved for good news...nt Wounded Bear Feb 5 #2
great story; thanks for sharing! diva77 Feb 5 #3
That's a wonderful story. Thanks for sharing that. yardwork Feb 5 #4
Thank you for sharing this! Hope22 Feb 5 #5
This just had to make your day! An experience you'll never forget Deuxcents Feb 5 #6
Great story! Thanks! Easterncedar Feb 5 #7
Lovely story. How sweet. Srkdqltr Feb 5 #8
Thanks for sharing this wonderful story! They should make it into a movie. pnwmom Feb 5 #9
omg I don't know gopiscrap Feb 5 #13
So nice, that's wonderful ... Thanks for sharing! 🙂 nt Raine Feb 5 #10
Oh, that's wonderful. nolabear Feb 5 #11
That's a beautiful story. StarryNite Feb 5 #12
I'm happy for you. herding cats Feb 5 #14
What wonderful experience! FemDemERA Feb 5 #15
Oh, Mike, that is just the most wonderful story, and I am so very glad that niyad Feb 5 #16
thank you so very much gopiscrap Feb 6 #22
What a wonderful story! Thank you for sharing! AllyCat Feb 5 #17
Wonderful story. LoisB Feb 5 #18
What a great story. Gave me goosebumps. yonder Feb 5 #19
Mike C -- how lovely & thanks for sharing Hekate Feb 6 #20
thank you so much for all your kind words gopiscrap Feb 6 #21
Your story brightened my day -- many thanks for sharing! fierywoman Feb 6 #23
Awesome story! What a day brightener! colorado_ufo Feb 6 #24
Super eye-opener for a group of teens pfitz59 Feb 6 #25
So heartwarming! ScratchN Feb 6 #26
Sweet story malaise Feb 6 #27
What a delightful story and so well written. llmart Feb 6 #28
A heartwarming story on a cold morning... Tom_Foolery Feb 6 #29
That is wonderful!!!! GeoWilliam750 Feb 6 #30
MAGAts would not have stopped COL Mustard Feb 6 #31
Good people do good things Old Crank Feb 6 #32
TY for sharing your wonderful story. God's blessings to all in the story, debm55 Feb 6 #33
What a wonderful story! pandr32 Feb 6 #34
Okay, something got in my eyes. Beautiful memories! Emile Feb 6 #35
Great story LetMyPeopleVote Feb 6 #36
What a great story, I am also from Owensboro! KYBlue Feb 6 #37
we were nine miles out, I was so scared... gopiscrap Feb 6 #49
It doesn't have to be in the history books to be an important piece of history DFW Feb 6 #38
Oooo, pleasant goose bumps and dry eye lubrication. Thanks!! Pacifist Patriot Feb 6 #39
What we do to help each other is the grandest scheme. Solly Mack Feb 6 #40
Thanks for sharing that great story! -nt CrispyQ Feb 6 #41
Hearts to you and the others. twodogsbarking Feb 6 #42
In the scheme of things, this IS important Attilatheblond Feb 6 #43
Beautiful story and gift. appleannie1 Feb 6 #44
True Christianity yankee87 Feb 6 #45
What a great thing to happen! KT2000 Feb 6 #46
Thank you Cherokee100 Feb 6 #47
welcome to DU gopiscrap Feb 6 #48
Awwwwwwww... LOVE this! calimary Feb 6 #50
It takes a village .... perfessor Feb 6 #51
Not important? You cant know how and who will be affected due to the Karadeniz Feb 6 #52
Wonderful, Mike. 🥰 blm Feb 6 #53
This story is beautiful MorbidButterflyTat Feb 6 #54
What a neat thing to do. greatauntoftriplets Feb 6 #55
You stepped up and helped IbogaProject Feb 7 #56

Hope22

(1,859 posts)
5. Thank you for sharing this!
Mon Feb 5, 2024, 10:41 PM
Feb 5

I love that the godfathers stayed in the picture. Congratulations to all! 😁💗

Deuxcents

(16,330 posts)
6. This just had to make your day! An experience you'll never forget
Mon Feb 5, 2024, 10:44 PM
Feb 5

And neither did Christopher. I’d say you had a big part of it and yes, it’s good news! So nice to have a positive post with all the crazy stuff out there. 🙏

pnwmom

(108,994 posts)
9. Thanks for sharing this wonderful story! They should make it into a movie.
Mon Feb 5, 2024, 10:52 PM
Feb 5

Who would play the four of you? And the laboring mom?

nolabear

(41,991 posts)
11. Oh, that's wonderful.
Mon Feb 5, 2024, 10:58 PM
Feb 5

I hope he tells that story. What a very real and raw way to come into the world! Ya done good.

niyad

(113,553 posts)
16. Oh, Mike, that is just the most wonderful story, and I am so very glad that
Mon Feb 5, 2024, 11:18 PM
Feb 5

you chose to share it with us. Do not tell yourself that it is not important, because it is! Real people, real lives, and sometimes miracles.

Blessings to you and your friends, and best wishes for this young man. What a wonderful way to start this lunar new year of the Dragon.

gopiscrap

(23,765 posts)
22. thank you so very much
Tue Feb 6, 2024, 12:30 AM
Feb 6

sometimes things happen to you that you think other people might just say so what, but that night is a part of my life narrative and I do tell about to folks. I am just grateful that he reached out to me.

AllyCat

(16,222 posts)
17. What a wonderful story! Thank you for sharing!
Mon Feb 5, 2024, 11:20 PM
Feb 5

Delivering a baby on the side of the road would be stressful for a knowledgeable practitioner. Cannot imagine how you felt!

How special he contacted you!

yonder

(9,674 posts)
19. What a great story. Gave me goosebumps.
Mon Feb 5, 2024, 11:51 PM
Feb 5

Good on Christopher for getting on track and to honor his "Godfathers in a Van".

Thanks for sharing Mike C!

gopiscrap

(23,765 posts)
21. thank you so much for all your kind words
Tue Feb 6, 2024, 12:24 AM
Feb 6

Last edited Tue Feb 6, 2024, 01:03 AM - Edit history (1)

I was blown away today, that he would think that I influenced him for the better. I have only spoken to him 6 or 7 times in my and his life. I remember that night so well. This was my first real "serious" job and not only was I terrified that we would some how hurt the new mom or her baby, but I was terrified, I would get fired. The one time I would have loved to have seen a cop around, but none was found. It is a story I do tell often, it is one of those once in a life time events that becomes a part of your life narrative.

llmart

(15,552 posts)
28. What a delightful story and so well written.
Tue Feb 6, 2024, 06:05 AM
Feb 6

There are moments in our lives that just stick with us and become a part of us. You and your friends were young but still had the presence of mind to know exactly what to do. How amazing that you kept in touch. Thank you for sharing this.

Tom_Foolery

(4,691 posts)
29. A heartwarming story on a cold morning...
Tue Feb 6, 2024, 06:12 AM
Feb 6

A perfect example of the compassion that exists in humans. We need more people like you. By the way, I live in Owensboro. Thank you!!!

COL Mustard

(5,923 posts)
31. MAGAts would not have stopped
Tue Feb 6, 2024, 07:08 AM
Feb 6

They would have been afraid of getting robbed or something. They've fallen a long way from the ideals of Christianity.

KYBlue

(26 posts)
37. What a great story, I am also from Owensboro!
Tue Feb 6, 2024, 08:46 AM
Feb 6

Really liked your story, and was surprised it happened in my hometown. I'm glad to know you helped the young mother and baby. Unfortunately this area is overrun with rabid Trump supporters and racists, who wouldn't help anyone these days. We need more kind hearted people like you in this area.

gopiscrap

(23,765 posts)
49. we were nine miles out, I was so scared...
Tue Feb 6, 2024, 04:39 PM
Feb 6

and just raced to the hospital with the young lady, didn't make it in time. We just put her baby on her stomach, didn't break the umbilicle cord and had her wheeled in when we got to the hospital. I have never been back to Owensboro but would like to. This happened on July 19, 1977 my final day of being a teenager.

DFW

(54,437 posts)
38. It doesn't have to be in the history books to be an important piece of history
Tue Feb 6, 2024, 08:50 AM
Feb 6

I'm sure 99% of extremely significant events are unknown to most of the world.

They are no less significant, believe me. Your friend Christopher will attest to that.

Attilatheblond

(2,201 posts)
43. In the scheme of things, this IS important
Tue Feb 6, 2024, 11:32 AM
Feb 6

The connections we make, even the ones we consider minor, can sometimes have great impact on others. Those connections can fire back up at the oddest times and only towards the ends of our own lives are we likely to see the beautiful weave of the net our casual connections helped make.

yankee87

(2,175 posts)
45. True Christianity
Tue Feb 6, 2024, 02:30 PM
Feb 6

What you did is an amazing feat. You truly followed in the teaching of my Lord, Jesus Christ.

IbogaProject

(2,841 posts)
56. You stepped up and helped
Wed Feb 7, 2024, 04:23 PM
Feb 7

And it seems you really helped by staying in contact. The emotional boost of any extra birthday cards or other occasional contact would have been good, doubly if his parents were of modest means.

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