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Colorado officers called to investigate screaming woman help deliver triplets on porch

Police said the 24-year-old mother went into labour with the triplets while she was home alone

Andrea Cavallier
Monday 29 April 2024 03:08 BST
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(Provided by the Leonard-Mayeda family)

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When police officers responded to a Colorado home to investigate reports of a woman screaming, they found the 24-year-old in active labour on her front porch.

Four Greeley Police Department officers arrived at around 3.30am on 18 April and jumped into action on the cold and snowy night to deliver what they thought was one baby.

The baby boy was born quickly and then suddenly turned blue.

“One officer located bread ties to tie off the umbilical cord while another ran to nearby homes and collected towels and blankets to help keep the new family warm,” the Greeley Police Department said in a release on Facebook.

“A third officer, who was still with the new mother, then tied off the umbilical cord and cut it. The fourth officer rushed the baby boy back to his patrol where it was much warmer.”

It was snowing, raining, and approximately 32 degrees outside at this time, police said.

While in the patrol car, the baby stopped breathing and an officer had to administer CPR. Medical personnel arrived in the nick of time and were able to help the infant.

But the new mother wasn’t done yet and told the shocked officers that she was expecting two more babies.

“While the officers were comforting the mother, a second baby boy was delivered, with the assistance of the officers,” the police department said.

“Officers wrapped this baby up, tied off the umbilical cord, and cut it. Baby number two was also rushed to the ambulance where medical personnel were still tending to the first baby.”

The mother was rushed to the same hospital as the first two babies and was immediately taken into surgery to deliver the third baby.

The three babies, all boys, had strong heartbeats, and are receiving medical care at the neonatal intensive care unit, police said.

Police say the woman had gone into labour while home alone.

Her phone had died so she tried to make it to her neighbour’s house but never made it past the front porch.

Eric Mayeda, the father of the triplets, told The Independent he is thankful for the Greeley Police Department for safely delivering the “trifecta we were gifted with.”

He said that the babies have been doing as well as can be expected given they were 14 weeks early.

A GoFundMe has been created to help the family with expenses.

Greeley Police Chief Adam Turk said he was “amazed at the teamwork, ingenuity, and care” of the officers, who were faced with a “lofty expectation.”

“The success of this call is a success in our officers, our training, and our partnerships with other public safety agencies in the area.”

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