BEDFORD, Ohio — During this week’s big snowstorm, the Chagrin Valley Dispatch was very busy with calls—but despite the craziness, one dispatcher kept her cool and helped bring a little bundle of joy into the world over the phone.
The Chagrin Valley Dispatch received 2,773 phone calls in a 24-hour period, but there was one that will always stand out for dispatcher Christine Mazzeo.
Around 3:30 p.m., Mazzeo took a call from a man in Glenwillow who said his wife was in active labor at their home. After assessing the situation, Mazzeo determined that the baby was going to be arriving very soon.
For the next eight minutes while the ambulance worked its way to the couple, Mazzeo talked the soon-to-be-dad through the birth of his child—all over the phone.
The father of the child was concerned at one point that the baby was not breathing, but after he dried and warmed the baby up with a towel, Mazzeo was able to hear the newborn’s cries.
Thanks to Mazzeo’s help, the family was waiting for the ambulance with their newborn child safe in their arms.
Mazzeo helped deliver a healthy baby girl into the world, right in the middle of Northeast Ohio’s first snowstorm of the season.
Due to her efforts, Mazzeo was awarded the Chagrin Valley Dispatch “Stork Pin,” given to dispatchers who successfully aid in the delivery of a baby before units arrive on scene.
Mazzeo was the recipient of just the third Stork Pin since the award’s inception in 2014.
