Fabian Bonanni, a pharmacist at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, lives with his wife Shirley at the top of a hill on Cinnamon Drive, but parks his car at the hill’s bottom since he has trouble driving up the steep incline. Just in case he needed to quickly get to the car, he bought a sled. Little did he know that purchase would be the birthing area for his daughter, Bella Sung-Ah Sofia Bonanni, yesterday at about 6 a.m.
Yesterday morning, while a snow storm raged outside, Shirley told Fabian that the baby was coming and fast. Thinking quickly, Fabian loaded Shirley onto the bright green sled he purchased and began pulling her down Cinnamon Drive. Shirley’s screams alerted George Leader, a College of New Jersey professor who called 911 while Fabian began delivering the baby.
“I ran out after I heard the commotion,” Leader said, “and it was clear that this was happening now.” “I just sprung into action; I wasn’t even thinking.”
Once delivered, Fabian broke the umbilical cord with his hands, wrapped Bella in a blanket and sprinted back up the hill. Meanwhile, Fabian’s parents and Leader brought Shirley into Leader’s living room to warm up until paramedics could arrive.
“I’ve seen more crazy animal-kingdom things in the African bush,” said Leader, who did research in South Africa. “But nothing prepares you for something like this.”
For photos from the incident, see the report by the Daily Mail.
Though “born on a sled” is probably the most insane birth story to come about in a while, Digital Journal recently reported on a baby born in a busy shopping centre in London.
