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‘I thought me and the baby weren’t going to make it’: Lockport woman thanks paramedics for safely delivering baby inside ambulance

LOCKPORT, N.Y. (WIVB) — A Lockport mother is thanking first responders for helping her deliver her baby inside an ambulance.

Mother Roseanna Roman, says she was nervous and scared because she was 24 weeks pregnant. Despite it being a premature labor, paramedics Karen Gavin and Matt Devine successfully delivered a baby boy.

“I was terrified for my own life. I thought me and the baby weren’t going to make it,” Roman said.

That was Roman’s first thought when she noticed it wasn’t her water that broke. Instead she saw that she was bleeding, and she was bleeding a lot. Her family called the ambulance to rush her from Lockport to Oishei Children’s Hospital. However, her little one had no intention of waiting.

“None of us had any idea the baby was coming, honestly, not even mom,” Gavin with Lockport Fire Department said. “So that was a big surprise. We had already contacted the hospital on mom’s behalf to let them know that she was coming in and she was going to need help.”

That’s when Gavin and her partner Devine sprung into action. Gavin told Devine to pull over and then she delivered baby Sabastian right there in the ambulance. Gavin administered CPR to help him start breathing, and then she called the hospital again.

“I called back and said remember that lady who was [24] weeks pregnant? I said well we have the baby now,” she said.

“To see life and death in the balance it was like surreal,” said father Sylvester Harris, who was in the ambulance witnessing his baby’s birth.

Twin City Ambulance was requested to meet LFD roadside to provide additional assistance.
Both the mother and baby were transported to Millard Fillmore Suburban hospital, which was closer in proximity.

“Karen did an awesome job in the ambulance and I’m so thankful for her,” Roman said.

Baby Sabastian was delivered at 1-pound and 10-ounces.

“He is definitely a little peanut, tiny as can be, you can put a ring on his wrist,” Roman said. “He is tiny as can be but he’s doing awesome. He’s fighting.”

Sabastian is currently at Oishei in the NICU and both he and his mom are doing well.

Sarah Minkewicz is an Emmy-nominated reporter and Buffalo native who has been a part of the News 4 team since 2019. Follow Sarah on Twitter @SarahMinkewicz and click here to see more of her work.

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