A receptionist has been hailed a hero after she saved the life of a baby boy she helped deliver in a hotel car park.
Cool-headed Karen Dyass sprang into action when Heather McSharry’s waters broke outside a Travelodge en route to hospital.
Armed with a mountain of fresh towels, Karen and Heather’s husband Matthew delivered the baby as paramedics talked them through it on speakerphone.
But as the newborn emerged Karen spotted that little MIchael wasn’t breathing or crying.
Courageous Karen, guided by paramedics, popped her fingers into Michael’s throat and cleared his airways to enable the tot to take in air.
Mum-of-two Karen, 46, then used dad Matthew’s shoelaces to tie the snapped umbilical cord back together to keep mum and baby ‘connected’.
Full-time mum Heather said yesterday: “I cannot thank Karen enough for what she did for me and my family.
“Karen helped me deliver our baby and for that I will be eternally grateful.
“When baby Michael was born he wasn’t crying! Karen immediately took charge and cleared his airwaves so he could breathe.
“We were so lucky that there was a Travelodge hotel nearby – and that they employ staff like Karen.
“Karen just stepped in and took control of a very difficult and scary situation. I cannot begin to imagine what would have happened if Karen was not there.
The drama started when Heather started to feel contractions on October 14 – four days before her due date – at her home in Scawby, North Lincs.
Staff at St James hospital, Leeds, told Karen to go in for a check-up, so the family piled into the car and headed off for the 60 mile road trip.
But halfway there Heather’s waters broke at Doncaster North Services.
Passer-by Michael Falconer and Karen, who was about to finish her evening shift, made Heather comfortable on a grass outside the Doncaster M18 Travelodge hotel.
Receptionist Karen ran into the back office and got a stack of fresh towels as Matthew dialled 999.
There was no time to move Heather into a room or wait for the ambulance so Karen took the lead and assisted Matthew and Heather to deliver the baby.
Karen said: “I was just coming to the end of my shift and was totally taken aback when a man ran into the hotel asking for help, he said there was a pregnant woman outside who was in labour.
“Being a mum of two children, I know what a scary situation this is, so I immediately told a colleague to take over the reception desk and I grabbed a stack of fresh towels and ran outside.
“Heather was very scared and totally stressed out when I arrived at the scene but a few breathing exercises and lots of calm soothing words later – Heather was a little relaxed and in full labour.
“I was so scared too as I had never delivered a baby and didn’t really know what to do but I just stepped up and made keeping Heather comfortable a priority and remembered my situation and supported with lots of encouragement and held her hand.”
“It’s an amazing and remarkable feeling delivering a baby and very scary when he was not initially crying.
“My instinct just kicked in and I knew I had to do whatever it takes to save this baby. I was so relieved when he started to cry.”
Heather and Matthew named their seven-and-one-quarter pound son after passer-by Michael Falconer, who ran into the hotel to get Karen’s help.
Travelodge spokesperson Shakila Ahmed said: “We are very proud of how Karen stepped in to help Heather and Matthew.
“Our hotel teams across our 552 hotels do an amazing job every day and sometimes they do encounter unforeseen difficult situations such as this. However we are constantly amazed on their bravery, compassion and determination to help people.”
“A huge congratulations to the McSharry family, we are so happy to hear that Heather and baby ‘Travelodge Michael’ are doing well.
“We look forward to welcoming the family back for a complementary weekend stay at one of our 552 hotels to have a relaxing family break and a much needed good night’s sleep.”
