By TONY GUERRERO
Hays Post
An Ellis County dispatcher received her second Stork Award after helping a caller deliver a baby over the phone.
On April 5, dispatcher Rachel Barnes answered a 911 call reporting a woman in labor in rural Ellis County. Barnes quickly instructed the caller to gather towels before giving further directions.
"You don't typically get calls as a dispatcher that are positive. Having done it once before, getting that call and realizing that I'm going to do something that has a good outcome gets me really excited." Barnes said.
About one minute into the call, a baby was delivered before responders arrived. Barnes then instructed the caller on how to make sure the newborn was breathing and properly wrapped.
"It's always important to make sure you have something to keep that baby warm because they're so small, and they're not going to be able to regulate their heat," she said.
She instructed the caller to check whether the placenta had been delivered and to wait until the umbilical cord had changed color before tying it off. The call lasted about 16 minutes.
Barnes said the most challenging part of the phone call was waiting for responders. The family was about 15 miles away from HaysMed.
"With every call, it's really just the waiting, because there's only so much you can do as a voice on the end of the phone," she said.
Barnes said the call involved her, a grandfather and a grandmother who helped deliver their grandson’s baby girl.
For providing calm guidance and instructions, Ellis County Communications Director Jeff Ridgway presented Barnes with a certificate recognizing dispatchers who assist in successful pre-hospital childbirths.
"Dispatcher Barnes utilized her professionalism and personal experience to keep the caller and the mother calm," Ridgway said.
Barnes was also recognized with the Stork Award in 2023 for guiding another childbirth over a 911 call. She received it alongside a coworker for answering a similar call.
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"People don't get Stork Awards super often. There's only been three total since our center was established, and all of them have been within the last three years," she said.