Dan Sparrow saved his newborn baby’s life after using a shoelace to clamp his child’s umbilical cord, saving his son Kayden from a potential infection.
The heroic effort all started when his wife, Vicki, went into labor at their house in the UK nearly two weeks before her due date. She mistakenly thought she was having Braxton Hicks contractions, but she was actually in labor. She delivered Kayden quickly thereafter before paramedics could even arrive at her house.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: ‘Bachelor’ Alum Jade Roper Tolbert Reveals She Gave Birth in Her Closet, Shares Beautiful Postpartum Selfie
The couple learned that Kayden was too small during their 20 week scan and would require “regular Doppler monitoring and weekly scans.” As a result, the doctors had told the couple that their son could not handle a natural birth, making the home birth particularly nerve-racking.
When he was born, Kayden’s umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck twice so Dan worked to unravel it and searched frantically for a tool to clamp the cord.
“The operator was telling me to grab anything I could cut the umbilical cord with,” Dan told the Daily Mail. “That’s when I caught sight of my work shoes in the hallway. I grabbed one [of] them, balanced Kayden on Vicki’s stomach and pulled the lace out.”
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: 4-Year-Old Donates Bone Marrow to Save Brother With Bubble Boy Disease
He used the shoelace to clamp the cord before paramedics could arrive at their house about 20 minutes later.
Vicki told the paper that she was very proud of her husband’s heroic efforts to save their son.
The couple has a lot to celebrate: in addition to celebrating the arrival of their second child, they were also married six days before his birth.
Kayden is now four-and-a-half months old and doctors say he is growing at a “healthy rate.”
“I’m just glad he’s defied the odds and he’s here now,” Dan said. “He had a bit of a difficult time for the first weeks of his life being in intensive care. But he’s here now and he’s doing great. We couldn’t be more happy.”
Mamas Uncut is THE online place for moms. We cover the latest about motherhood, parenting, and entertainment as well – all with a mom-focused twist. So if you're looking for parenting advice from real parents, we have plenty of it, all for moms from moms, and also experts. Because, at the end of the day, our mission is focused solely on empowering moms and moms-to-be with the knowledge and answers they’re looking for in one safe space.