Four Colorado police officers responded to a woman screaming from her neighbor’s front porch earlier this month and helped make a triple delivery in the snow using shared kitchen equipment.
Greeley Police Department officers sprang into action after finding the 24-year-old mother in labor in front of her home on April 18, more than three months early, according to authorities and the woman’s boyfriend.
Police immediately called for medical personnel, who said they heard “very faint” cries and saw that the baby boy was born but turned blue.
As a mixture of snow and rain poured down around 3:30 a.m., one officer found a nearby cord to fasten the umbilical cord, while another rushed to find towels and other items to keep the mother warm. I gathered blankets.
Police said a third officer tied and cut the umbilical cord on the 32-degree morning, while a fourth rushed the baby to a squad car to keep it warm.
But once the baby arrived at the car, he stopped breathing and officers performed CPR and chest compressions to give him “a chance of survival” until paramedics arrived and took over. Greeley police said Friday.
While police officers were caring for the mother and awaiting further help, her second child, a boy, was born. While medical workers were still working on the first child, the umbilical cord was cut and the second child was taken to an ambulance.
Another ambulance eventually arrived at the home and the mother was taken to the hospital, where she underwent surgery and delivered her last baby, also a boy, police said.
“Officers were overjoyed to learn that all three babies had strong heartbeats and were being cared for in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU),” Greeley police said in a statement. “It is believed that the woman went into labor while she was home alone, but her cell phone was not working, so she attempted to call 911 at a neighbor’s home.”
The triplets’ father, Eric Maeda, introduced the boys on social media as Bart Isao Leonard-Maeda, Kikutaro Alan Leonard-Maeda and Billy Bob Leonard-Maeda.
“It was early as expected, but everyone is doing well and healthy as expected,” he wrote on Facebook, along with a photo of a small baby in the NICU.
Maeda told McClatchy News His girlfriend, Tiffany Leonard, was staying at her mother’s house when she went into labor in the early morning hours. With her phone still dead, she walked a block away to a neighbor’s house, where they woke up and called 911, she said.
“Your baby is being born on our front porch!” Maeda said a neighbor called her and told her.
The triplets’ original due date was July 25, he told the press.
Police Chief Adam Turk praised the officers’ efforts.
“We expect our officers to do a great job in the community every day, and that is deeply ingrained.” [sic] It is based on our core values,” Turk said in a statement. “Despite such high expectations, I was amazed by the teamwork, ingenuity and care the police officers provided to this mother and her three newborn boys.
“The success of this call is a success of our officers, our training, and our partnership with other public safety agencies in the region.”
