A new road sign is needed on Hwy 11 between Sylvan Lake and Red Deer that says: Madyx Thomas Rodin was born right here.
Jaime Rodin, 33, of Sylvan Lake was in labour and was being driven to Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre early Wednesday morning when her newborn son made a surprise appearance at 2:45 a.m.
“I thought we had a lot more time,” said Rodin, who had her first contraction at about 12:40 a.m.
Her father Leonard Rodin, of Maple Creek, Sask., was driving her to the hospital in his truck.
Her good friend Shantel Bartole, of Sylvan Lake, accompanied them.
About 10 minutes into the drive, Rodin knew the baby was coming — now.
“It was like, ‘We need to pull over because he’s not waiting until the hospital.’ And nobody believed me. They thought I was being overly dramatic. They ignored me and kept driving.”
Then she announced, ‘He’s here. He’s out.’ And they still didn’t believe me until they heard his little squawk.”
Rodin said Bartole called 911 to contact the paramedics and the emergency operator talked them through what they had to do.
“Grandpa ripped off his shoe lace and tied off the cord, got him snuggled in a sweater — not even a blanket, a sweater — and the paramedics came and they took over.”
She said staff at the Red Deer hospital told her Madyx was healthy and everyone in the truck did a good job.
They told her not many babies are born outside the hospital, but it does happen.
Madyx, whose due date was Jan. 17, was born weighing 2.55 kg (five pounds, 10 ounces).
“He’s as healthy as can be. He’s the greatest baby. He sleeps all the time. Doesn’t cry. Couldn’t ask for better,” said his mom, who returned home with her newborn on Thursday afternoon.
Madyx has three siblings — Zoey, 15, Braelyn, nine, and Jaztyn, five.
Rodin said all her births have been done naturally without drugs for the pain and the labours were fairly quick — four or five hours long, but never as quick as two hours before.
She said labour pains were far apart at first. They started coming one on top of the other as they pulled out of Sylvan and became really intense.
“Now I understand why. He was ready.”
Rodin, a private day home provider, said Madyx definitely takes after his grandpa.
“His grandpa was born on the backseat of a car on the side of the road. (Madyx) was born in grandpa’s truck and grandpa was born in his mom’s car.”
Rodin said her father says to forget it, but she can’t apologize enough for the mess left behind in his truck.
“I was in the front seat, poor truck,” she said with a laugh.
szielinski@www.reddeeradvocate.com