Elizabeth’s birthday is today. She was born on March 10, 1977. David was twenty days short of turning two and Michael followed BZ exactly fifteen months later. Ruth and I were knocking on 30’s door.
The 10th was a Thursday. Ruth had taught through the prior Friday, beginning her maternity leave that day. She visited her parents in Plainwell on Wednesday the 9th. I was headed to a teacher negotiations workshop in Allegan after school that day. I stopped at the Van Bruggen’s to see Ruth and David before going to the meeting. The first words Ruth spoke were, “My water just broke.” Everyone’s plans changed.
Ruth and I left David with Kate and Lou and drove to the hospital in Kalamazoo. We arrived around 5:00. Elizabeth didn’t show up until the following morning. That was a night to remember as Ruth’s labor lasted all night. I got to know the nurses pretty well. There was only one other baby being born that night.
I spent most of the night talking to Ruth, one other prospective father and the nursing staff. Ruth’s labor came in waves, and we were told we were in for a long night as our child wasn’t ready to be born. Ruth was able to get some rest, so I just showed up from time to time but never slept. She dozed off for a few minutes.
The other father was dressed in a softball uniform. He owned a couple of car washes and sponsored one of Kalamazoo’s recreation teams. He came directly from a game. Like me, he wandered back and forth between his wife, Cecily, and the father’s waiting room.
The nurses kept track of the impending births on a white board at the nurses’ station. It was a coded system intended to provide information as the shift would change. During one of my stops at the station they asked if I would sign off on a document allowing them to “keep the placenta”. When I asked “why” they said it was used for burn victims and research. Being an educator, I signed off and said, “ok”.
Elizabeth was born shortly after 7:00 a.m. I recall only three people being in the room: Ruth, her doctor, and me. There was a nurse somewhere, but I didn’t see her. Prior to appearing Elizabeth wiggled her way back up the birth canal a couple of times. After attempting to retreat, she appeared. We had a baby girl. The doctor handed her directly to me, while he cut the umbilical cord and tended to Ruth. She was the slickest thing I’d ever held. I didn’t want to drop her, so I pulled her to my chest, but I thought she’s squirt away if I held too tight.
Cecily, the only other lady in the maternity ward that night became Ruth’s hospital roommate. She had a baby girl the same day Elizabeth was born. Allison and Cecily visited us a couple of times after the girls’ birth. Cecily needed someone to care for Allison so she could return to work. We introduced her to the lady who had been caring for David, Mrs. Berry. They met at our house and struck an agreement for employment. It was a perfect match.
A comparison of the two girls was inevitable. They sat side by side on our couch. While Elizabeth appeared strong, Allison needed to be propped up. The two mothers exchanged words of encouragement regarding each other’s child. They hoped to develop a long-term friendship. A couple months later, Allison was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Allison’s birth had not gone as well as Elizabeth’s, so some speculated that a reduced oxygen supply or lack of oxygen to the brain may have triggered the problem. It was tragic news for everyone.
Allison lived for twelve years. Sometime during those twelve years, her parents divorced. The father couldn’t handle his daughter’s handicap so Cecily, with Mrs. Berry’s help, became a single parent.
Ruth and I were the lucky ones that night. We didn’t speak of it often, but we were grateful to have a strong, vibrant daughter. I wonder if Allison’s parents think of her on each March 10th. Although I don’t do it every year, I am this one.
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