Manatee County dispatchers help deliver five babies over three months: 'Once I hung up, I had happy tears'

911 dispatchers assist in delivering babies

Manatee County 911 telecommunicators have helped callers deliver five babies over the phone in the last three months. FOX 13's Ariel Plasencia reports. 

BRADENTON, Fla. - Manatee County 911 telecommunicators have helped callers deliver five babies over the phone in the last three months. 

Timeline:

From September 29 to December 19, Manatee County telecommunicators walked five callers through the delivery process over the phone, resulting in three boys and two girls. 

• Jennifer Henderson – September 29 (boy)
• Marisa Hudson – October 25 (boy)
• Marisa Hudson – November 12 (girl)
• Cory Van Blarcom – December 3 (girl)
• Nick Podniestrzanski – December 19 (boy)

Van Blarcom and Nick Podniestrzanski were still in training when their calls came in. Marisa Hudson, who is pregnant, was still in training when she helped deliver the October baby. 

"It was very euphoric, like that's the best way to (describe) it," the telecommunicator and mom-to-be said. "Like I wasn't nervous because it was just so exciting!"

Local perspective:

On December 3 at 3 a.m., Van Blarcom took just her third call on the job. It was from a mother in labor. 

"I was wide-eyed and thinking, ‘Is this really happening?’" Van Blarcom said in a Manatee County Public Safety Department Facebook post. 

With support from a senior 911 telecommunicator, Van Blarcom helped the mom deliver a healthy baby girl. 

"Once I hung up, I had happy tears," Van Blarcom added. "I didn’t think I would, but it was exciting."

Dig deeper:

Manatee County telecommunicator Adam Bruner helps new hires with training. 

"I spoke with the trainees, and I got to see their excitement," Bruner said of these recent baby calls. "Nick is on our night shift. When he delivered the baby, he was just overjoyed with having that experience."

Bruner has been with Manatee County ECC for 12 years and has also delivered a baby over the phone himself. 

"We rely a lot on our listening skills and seeing exactly what happens. And when you get to hear that little baby cry after everything's gone, it's a really happy feeling," Bruner told FOX 13. "Like with our job, we're here for emergencies, so it's not always positive, sadly. And having those positive experiences definitely highlights our job."