Special delivery: Baby born at Iowa FedEx facility surprises mom, medics
By Marcus McIntosh
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GRIMES, Iowa (KCCI) — Onyx King Easterlie arrived in an unlikely place — a FedEx facility in Grimes — and in a way his mother says she never saw coming.
The newborn weighed 6 pounds, 8 ounces and measured 19 inches long. He was given a clean bill of health and later snuggled in the arms of his mother, Amethyst Blumberg.
The birth happened near the end of Blumberg’s work shift around 8 a.m. on Monday, when she said she suddenly needed to use the bathroom.
“After that, I couldn’t even get off the toilet,” Blumberg said.
She was able to open the door and call for help as the situation escalated quickly.
“I get up, and I feel his head,” she said, describing the moment she realized the baby was coming.
By the time the Johnston-Grimes Fire District was dispatched, Onyx was essentially ready to be delivered.
Radio traffic captured the urgency: “We are delivering the baby now.”
A medic later summarized the rapid timeline: “We were on scene at 8:29 and delivery 8:33.”
Blumberg and her baby were taken to the hospital, where both were reported healthy and resting.
The story became even more unusual because Blumberg did not know she was pregnant.
Blumberg said her first pregnancy came with clear symptoms, but this time she noticed none.
“With my first one, I had all the symptoms. With this one, I had nothing at all,” she said, adding she did not gain weight, and in fact said, “I was losing weight at work.”
She said the first signs came only at the very end: “The only thing I felt was when my back started hurting from back labor. And when he was descending, I felt him move.”
Paramedics said they took the surprise in stride and focused on the outcome.
“I’ve seen a lot of things in my field, so I don’t get too much surprised anymore,” said Nick Pearson, Johnston/Grimes Fire District. “I’m just very happy that she was healthy and the baby was healthy.”
Blumberg, who has a story she expects will follow her for years, put it simply: “He’s perfect. Our FedEx baby.”
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