Nigerian baby delivered during flight from Paris to New York

August 23, 2024

Daily Mail reports that 27-year-old, Dr Sij Hemal, who is a second-year urology resident at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, was reportedly awaiting a glass of champagne on an Air France flight from Paris to New York on December 17, 2017 when fellow passenger, Toyin Ogundipe, went into labor a week earlier than her due date.

The flight was reportedly four hours from their destination and also two hours away from a safe emergency landing when a request for medical help from a flight attendant came over the speakers.

After indicating that he was a doctor, Dr Sij was appraised of the situation and immediately began to prepare for the delivery of the baby half-way through the eight-hour flight.

In the course of his preparations, he found out that the person seated next to him was Dr Stefanie Ortolan, a paediatrician from France.

The doctors were led to where Ogundipe lay, complaining of chest pains and dizziness.

Dr Sij initially thought that kidney stones could be the culprit until the new mum revealed to him that she was 39 weeks pregnant.

"She was covered with a blanket so I couldn't see that she was pregnant, but the pain she was describing sounded like contractions," Dr Hemal said.

Making use of the Air France flight's medical supplies to monitor vitals and contractions, Dr Sij helped the woman safely deliver her son after 30 minutes.

Dr Sij used a shoestring to tie and cut the umbilical cord for the baby boy named Jake.

The newborn now has a US passport as they had been flying over US airspace when he was born. Mrs Ogundipe is a Nigerian and a banker but is based in the UK.

While speaking to Daily Mail Online, Dr Hemal said he was just glad everything went smoothly.

He revealed that his biggest fear had been that the mother could die from bleeding or shock after birth. However, he insists it all went as well as it could have gone.

Dr Sij was quick to note that was relieved it all happened before he had any champagne.

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