Subway Platform Birth in New York City

With the help of a select few bystanders on a sweltering New York City Transit Subway Platform, three stories below ground, a New York York City resident named Francine LaFontant gave birth to a 7 pound, 6 ounce baby girl.

On June 23, 2008, while traveling from Brooklyn to Manhattan on the F Line, headed toward Bellevue Hospital while thirty-eight weeks pregnant, LaFontant was helped by her husband and a nurse off of the train onto a narrow subway platform at the East Broadway Station. On that spot, within one hour's time, and without a doctor or ambulance present, she gave birth to a healthy baby girl, named Soleil.

Seth Nagel, a New York City school guidance counselor happened upon the woman and nurse moments after her arrival at the station. After calling 911, Nagel returned to comfort the woman and assist the nurse in aiding Lafontant. Upon running back upstairs to street level and a second call to 911, Nagel came to realize that the arrival of an ambulance would not be imminent, and learned that the baby had begun to crown. While a social worker, Wendy Brown, joined the nurse in comforting Lafontant, Nagel ran to a nearby firehouse, approximately five blocks away, and back to Lafontant at the station, notifying each of the emerging situation.

As the New York City Firefighters aided the nurse, who has remained anonymous, in delivering the baby, Nagel returned back and forth twice more to street level to engage a volunteer ambulance and then escorted them to the scene. After waiting on the platform with her newborn baby, the volunteer ambulance arrived shortly thereafter and removed the healthy mother and baby to Bellevue Hospital.

With the exception of one news outlet, the New York Daily News, the media was unaware of the remarkable occurrence, which took place at approximately 3:00 P.M., until early the next morning. Nagel had visited in the evening for several hours with Lafontant at Bellevue Hospital where she was able to recount in great detail the day’s events, and the actions and words of Nagel and others’ assistance.

Lafontant indicated at that time that she wanted news media to be aware of the story in order to thank the individuals who helped her, and celebrate that her baby was born healthy. The story was soon picked up by local, national and international media, such as Fox News, the Associated Press, and others. News of the day’s occurrence was then printed and broadcast internationally.

LaFontant and her newborn Soleil, despite the extraordinary circumstances, did not experience any complications during or after the birth. Lafontant remains in communication with Nagel and have mutually planned to remain in touch in the upcoming years because of the unique bond they now share.

One consumer company, upon hearing the story, sent LaFontant a welcome package for Soleil, as an event to publicly celebrate with those who were involved is being planned.

http://www.myfoxny.com/myfox/MyFox/pages/sidebar_video.jsp?contentId6840711&version1&locale=EN-US

http://video.wnbc.com/player/?id=0#videoid=269350

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/media?id=6227910

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25351385/
http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/06/woman_gives_birth_on_subway_pl.html
http://www.nypost.com/seven/06252008/news/regionalnews/subway_mom_seeks_angel_117036

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