Dad Delivers Baby Son with Help of 911 Operator, Mom Says ‘He Was Our Calm in the Storm'
The dispatcher, Ryan Hepler, helped ensure their baby, Levi, was delivered safely
It was an experience Hepler said he'll "never forget"When Tiffany Seaford left the hospital, she was only one centimeter dilated and was told to rest at her Mocksville, N.C., home. But less than three hours later, her husband, Chris, helped deliver their son, Levi, with the assistance of a 911 dispatcher.
On Nov. 1, 2024, the expectant mom told her husband that she could feel the baby's head, she told NBC affiliate WXII in an interview published on Wednesday, May 14. Chris immediately decided to call 911 for help.
'My wife's pregnant and I don't think we can make it to the hospital,' Chris told dispatcher Ryan Hepler, according to the 911 call shared by the outlet.
'Ryan's voice was steady, clear, and gave me the confidence I didn't know I had,' Chris told The Davie County Enterprise-Record. 'He talked me through everything — what to watch for, how to support Tiffany, how to care for the baby the moment he arrived. He was incredible.'
The family and Davie County 911 Center did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's requests for comment.
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With Hepler's guidance, the nervous dad was able to help his wife give birth to to their baby boy. By the time the fire department arrived, Levi was already born. His cries could be heard in the 911 call, according to WXII.
'That was a sigh of relief,' Hepler said of hearing Levi's cry. 'Hearing a newborn baby cry is pretty amazing.'
The dispatcher, who has been working at the Davie County 911 Center for 10 years, told WXII that it's the fourth such call they've received.
In April, Hepler got to meet Levi and his parents during Telecommunicators Week at the center, where his heroic actions were recognized, according the Enterprise-Record.
Hepler said it was an experience he'll 'never forget,' while Tiffany added, 'He was our calm in the storm. We'll never forget what Ryan did for us that night."
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