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Dispatcher walks father through delivering a baby in a car

Posted at 11:26 PM, Dec 23, 2020
and last updated 2020-12-23 23:26:36-05

CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WKBW) — Driving by the Buffalo Niagara International Airport last Friday, and you'd never know what was happening. In one of those passing cars were Casandra and Steven. Cassandra made her husband pull their Toyota Corolla into a parking lot.

“We knew it was happening,” said Cassandra.

They weren't going to make it to the hospital. Steven called 9-1-1. On the line was Jennifer Mazgajewski, a dispatcher with the Cheektowaga Police Department. She’s been taking calls for 10 years, but not quite like this one.

“I think she is going to start to deliver, right now,” said Steven.

Mazgajewski walked Stephen through delivering a baby.

“The head is starting to come, I don’t know what to do,” said Steven while speaking with the dispatcher.

“He followed along. He was calm, cool, and collective on the phone, which surprised me,” recalled Mazgajewski.

“It might sound like I am calm, but I’m running through a million things,” explained Steven.

“It was little scary, just not knowing what was going to happen,” said Cassandra.

Just after before two in the afternoon of December 18th, before the paramedics arrived, Alexandra was born. The family went to Sister's Hospital. Now, they're back home.

“She’s doing very well since we’ve been home,” said Cassandra.

“It was actually really kind of cool that I could help bring someone into this world,” said Mazgajewski.

“She was fantastic, guiding my husband through everything and making him feel comfortable enough to deliver and keep my calm,” said Cassandra.