Special delivery: Baby born outside Swedish West Seattle

One of West Seattle’s newest residents will have quite the story to tell when she grows up! She’s the 7-pound, 15.7-ounce newborn daughter of Kelly Faherty and husband Mike – born at 3:30 yesterday afternoon in the parking area of the Swedish Medical Clinic at 3400 California SW. No, they don’t routinely deliver babies there, but this is Kelly and Mike’s second child, and their new daughter just wasn’t going to wait long enough for a trip to the hospital downtown. Swedish’s Ed Boyle got permission to share that much with us; we also checked in with the Seattle Fire Department, since firefighters responded too. SFD’s Dana Vander Houwen says one of the firefighters who responded (Engine 29 and Medic 32 were sent out) told her that a clinic doctor came out and delivered the baby on a gurney in the parking area, with firefighter and firefighter/paramedic help! From there, mom and baby were taken to Swedish Medical Center on First Hill, and by all accounts are doing well.

cmc September 10, 2010 (10:28 am)

Congratulations!!!! :) What a neat story!

newnative September 10, 2010 (10:30 am)

She can say she is a true West Seattleite!

datamuse September 10, 2010 (10:40 am)

Sometimes they just don’t want to wait. A friend of mine wound up giving birth in her car on the side of the road; the baby didn’t wait for her husband to get her to the hospital. So dad got to deliver his kid!

Que September 10, 2010 (10:43 am)

Wow!! Congratulations Kelly! You have one heckuva story to tell about your birthing, that is for sure!

JEM September 10, 2010 (10:50 am)

A friend of mine in high school was born in the car in the driveway of the Shriver residence in Great Falls/Langley, VA. They didn’t realize until her dad returned to retreive his textbooks that had been tossed out of the car during the birth. I always thought that was a cool story.

Erin LHommedieu September 10, 2010 (11:31 am)

that’s my girl! momma and baby are doing GREAT.

WSB September 10, 2010 (11:36 am)

Glad to hear it. We also sent this request through both hospital PR and an apparent friend whose e-mail last night was our first tip, but: If the proud parents care to share a photo, at least of the new baby if not themselves too, we would be thrilled to include it – TR

Diane September 10, 2010 (11:55 am)

Welcome baby girl!!
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darn, this is just down the street from me; missed the whole thing
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adding to sharing of babies coming sooner than expected (I work with families with newborns/infants; have heard countless times about “so much for the birthing plan”)
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my story, that I don’t remember because I was only 1 ½; my sister was born in the bathroom, literally popped out and hit the floor; she had big bump on her head for weeks; I have photos; my dad loves to tell the story (my mom died from polio couple years later, so I can’t get her version); he called fire, police……..not sure where I was in all that
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btw, I wish for regular stories/announcements of all babies born in West Seattle on this website; it’s the most joyous time for families; there are stories about new businesses, and when people die; how about new life, new people; hint hint

WSB September 10, 2010 (12:10 pm)

Diane – we asked a long time ago if West Seattle breakouts were available from local hospitals or from the county. Unfortunately, all they can say is “born in Seattle,” etc. But any time people voluntarily want to send us birth or death announcements etc. we would love to publish them. The Internet is infinite, as we say, and there’s room for all sorts of news!

Molly September 10, 2010 (12:06 pm)

Congratulations to Kelly and Mike and the new big sibling! A great story to carry forward into family lore. If it had been rush hour instead of 4 a.m. when I went into labor with our second baby, we would’ve had the same experience. Got to the hospital just in time.

Diane September 10, 2010 (12:36 pm)

Thanks TR; yes the hospitals have become super high security secretive; just a few years ago I could still see online birth announcements with photos on Swedish……no more
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when I did my Masters Thesis on infants in 1990 in San Jose, I searched newspaper birth announcements on microfiche at library, then searched names through phone books, and then the cold calls; I think they even still had addresses listed in birth announcements then; but no stories……….
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having grown up in the 50’s, and my step-mom was secretary to publisher of our city newspaper, stories with photos of our family were often in the paper; and there were always lovely stories about new babies; I really miss that in today’s news
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so c’mon West Seattle families, share your new baby stories and photos, please! We all want to celebrate with you
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with all the lousy news about shootings, break-ins, etc; there’s nothing better than a new baby to lift everyone’s spirits and give us hope for better future, celebrate our community of wonderful families

ellenater September 10, 2010 (12:37 pm)

I love this story! I, too, came fast–they were writing my mom’s vitals on paper towels. She did make it to the hospital though, just not to a room!

Great story!

me on 28th Ave SW September 10, 2010 (1:39 pm)

Back when the high level West Seattle Bridge was being built and the traffic daily backed up for hours at a time (as you could imagine) my grade school music teacher delivered a baby in an ambulance trying to get to the hospital.

Maegan September 10, 2010 (1:57 pm)

She’s famous and not even a day old :) Congrats Kelly and Mike-lots of love to the whole family!!

AJP September 10, 2010 (5:11 pm)

Awww…Congratulations! Having been through 17 hours of labor and two hours of pushing myself, I have to admit I’m a little bit jealous…Happy wishes to the whole family!

miws September 10, 2010 (5:43 pm)

Congrats to Kelly and Mike, and welcome to the new Wesseattleite! ;)

Dunno if it’s true, but the story my parents always told me as a kid, was that I was born in a wheelchair, in, or on my way into the hospital. (Seattle General, that was Downtown at 4th & Madison, I believe)

Mike

Betsy September 10, 2010 (6:01 pm)

Congratulations and welcome to the community! Please contact La Leche League of West Seattle for breastfeeding support, the nice ladies of LLL would be delighted to welcome in person the newest member of the West Seattle family.

Our daughter was born in our living room on 48th Ave SW — but on purpose, with three midwives, a doula, our son, and my husband in attendance, in February 2005.

I KNOW it’s standard US language usage, but I’d like to propose a language shift: the UPS lady delivers packages. The mail man delivers the mail. Moms give birth and babies are born. Midwives, doctors, nurses, EMTs, firefighters, grandparents, dads, partners, friends (and sometimes UPS ladies and mailmen) help moms catch babies. It’s not the EMT or the doctor who does the work. It’s the mom. :)