Perryville mother has a special delivery
Published 6:14 am Friday, April 13, 2018
A baby’s birth brought the story of his life Thursday morning when his mom unexpectedly gave birth in the bathtub of their Perryville home.
“That was a first for me, in 17 years,” said Perryville Police Chief Parker Hatter, who arrived just after the baby was born. “It was definitely interesting.”
He called the mother, Sami Jo Best, a “champ” and said she and the baby boy seemed fine.
Hatter said he initially heard the call over the radio at about 9:30 a.m. dispatching the Boyle County EMS to the house and a follow-up call asking for the Perryville Fire Department to assist.
He decided to go to see if he could help.
Hatter beat the emergency crews to the scene, and said he entered the home and found mother and baby in the bathroom.
“It was kind of a ‘You had to see it to believe it’ sort of thing,” he said.
Best had already given birth on her own when he arrived.
“She had done all the work … She was holding him,” Hatter said.
He ran back to his car to grab gloves; Paul McCrystal with the Perryville Fire Department arrived at that time. Hatter said they wrapped the baby in towels and kept the mother calm until EMS arrived.
Although she was tired, everyone seemed fine, Hatter said.
Hatter said he was present for each of his kids’ births, but found himself more nervous with Best and her baby.
“I guess that was because of the situation,” he said. “I told her she would have a good story to tell.”
