Teachers jump into action when student's mom delivers baby at school
Teachers really are prepared for anything.
Last week, Amberlynn Balli, Valentina Davalos, and Erica Beverly — all teachers at IDEA Bluff Springs Elementary School in Texas — were leaving an awards ceremony for students when they saw the father of a second grader outside the women's bathroom. They learned that his wife, Janet Karina Soto-Rodriguez, was inside, giving birth. She had felt sick during the ceremony and they left to go to the hospital, but didn't make it.
The women ran into the bathroom, where Soto-Rodriguez was holding her newborn daughter. Balli called 911 while Davalos took the baby and began cleaning her mouth and nose and rubbing her back to make her cry. "It was a beautiful cry because then we knew she was okay," Davalos told Good Morning America. The 911 operator passed along instructions on how to care for Soto-Rodriguez, and other teachers began gathering outside the bathroom, running all over campus to get the necessary supplies like blankets and gloves.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"We wanted to let her soak in the fact that she had just created life," Balli said. "And wanted to make the delivery as comfortable and beautiful and private as possible no matter the circumstances." After about 10 minutes, an ambulance arrived and took Soto-Rodriguez and the baby to the hospital. The teachers went back to their classrooms, and were relived when they later received word Soto-Rodriguez and her baby, Andrea, were happy and healthy. Soto-Rodriguez said she will tell Andrea when she grows up she "came ready to tackle this world."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Will California's EV mandate survive Trump, SCOTUS challenge?
Today's Big Question The Golden State's climate goal faces big obstacles
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
'Underneath the noise, however, there’s an existential crisis'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
2024: the year of distrust in science
In the Spotlight Science and politics do not seem to mix
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published