NYC500 Posted June 12, 2009 Share #1 Posted June 12, 2009 Friday, June 12th 2009, 4:00 AM Woman's water breaks on R train, subway conductor delivers baby girl BY Edgar Sandoval and Bill Hutchinson DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS It wasn't rush hour, but a baby that subway conductor Bretta Sykes delivered on an R train Thursday was in a big hurry. The baby girl couldn't wait for her parents to reach the maternity ward, so Sykes stepped in as midwife. "The baby is coming!" yelled the Brooklyn mother, whose water broke as she and her fiancé headed from their home in Bedford-Stuyvesant to the Queens hospital where the mom had planned to give birth. "I did not want to cut the umbilical cord. I'm a conductor. I only push buttons," joked Sykes, a mother of two grown children. The unexpected delivery happened at the Whitehall station in lower Manhattan, just hours after Sykes' 29-year-old daughter, Fortune, had told her she was going to have a baby. "A few hours later, I was delivering one," Sykes said. Sykes, a 16-year MTA veteran, was waiting on the platform to begin her W train route when she heard a commotion on an R train that had entered the station and went to investigate. Surrounded by concerned straphangers, the young mother was splayed on the floor of the car in obvious labor, Sykes said. Sykes ordered the crowd to back off and told the mother-to-be, "Just try to breathe." As MTA colleague Tyrone Cloud, 54, kept the crowd at bay, Sykes called out for a doctor. When no one stepped forward, the CPR training Sykes had gotten in her previous career as a correction officer and the birthing classes she had taken long ago kicked in. "You hear about this happening to firefighters and cabbies, but you never think it's going to happen to you," Sykes said. As soon as she pulled the mom's jeans down, Sykes knew she wouldn't have the luxury of waiting for paramedics. "I saw the baby's head," said Sykes, of Westbury, L.I. Sykes pulled off her jacket, caught the infant with it and wrapped her in it. "She looked okay to me," she said of the newborn. "I had tears in my eyes." Someone asked what time it was. When a passerby yelled 1:25p.m., the gathered crowd started applauding. The baby and her parents, whose names were not immediately available, were resting at New York Downtown Hospital. Toshiana McCray, who was visiting a relative at the hospital, said she spoke to the father, who was "ecstatic." She said the father told her the baby was born a month premature but healthy. Before leaving the scene, the father told Sykes he wanted to name the baby after her. "I told him, 'I don't know if the world is big enough for two Brettas,'" Sykes said. http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/06/12/2009-06-12_womans_water_breaks_on_r_train_subway_conductor_delivers_baby_girl.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubwayGuy Posted June 12, 2009 Share #2 Posted June 12, 2009 Heh...I remember something similar happening about 12 to 14 years ago on the or line...don't remember the station but that was back when announcements still told you what was really going on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KNIGHTRIDER3:16 Posted June 12, 2009 Share #3 Posted June 12, 2009 It's amazing how we could react to these situations even undergroung ,hope this person gets A good commendation for this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pelham Bay Dave Posted June 13, 2009 Share #4 Posted June 13, 2009 She did a great thing but how the MTA looks at it is diffrent then we do. They be looking at did she violate any rules like if her train was on the stand with starting lights since the was delayed for a sick customer and couldn't leave because she was on the train it could be a write up. Is she still quilified to do CPR because MTA don't train us for that. Don't get me wrong I think she did a great thing she acted as a human being first and put the job second she should be honored but that not how management see it they just look at thier rulebook, Bulletins and policy if all of that is followed then they are proud of you. I don't remember a case like this so it will be interesting but notice the MTA themself have not commented yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trainmaster5 Posted June 13, 2009 Share #5 Posted June 13, 2009 She did a great thing but how the MTA looks at it is diffrent then we do. They be looking at did she violate any rules like if her train was on the stand with starting lights since the was delayed for a sick customer and couldn't leave because she was on the train it could be a write up. Is she still quilified to do CPR because MTA don't train us for that. Don't get me wrong I think she did a great thing she acted as a human being first and put the job second she should be honored but that not how management see it they just look at thier rulebook, Bulletins and policy if all of that is followed then they are proud of you. I don't remember a case like this so it will be interesting but notice the MTA themself have not commented yet. Still looking for rule book infractions ? Otherwise the PR office would be crowing about what a great job she did. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metsfan Posted June 13, 2009 Share #6 Posted June 13, 2009 Well done. Just one more reason to keep C/R and station agents. - A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EE Broadway Local Posted June 13, 2009 Share #7 Posted June 13, 2009 Great story! She deserves a commendation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RokuSix Posted June 13, 2009 Share #8 Posted June 13, 2009 I can't imagine what it's like to just ride the subway, then suddenly give birth... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted June 14, 2009 Share #9 Posted June 14, 2009 I can't imagine what it's like to just ride the subway, then suddenly give birth... Well i'm sure she knew a baby was coming for at least 8 or so months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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