NEW YORK CITY — A 25-year-old woman gave birth to a baby girl on a New York City subway train on Wednesday, according to MTA officials.
The birth happened around 11:30 a.m. on a southbound W train stopped at the 34th Street-Herald Square station.
ABC New York affiliate WABC’s reporter Sonia Rincon interviewed the woman who captured the birth video, calling it a small miracle that happened on 34th Street.
“Definitely a miracle. A lot of things could have went wrong, and thank God that it didn’t,” said witness Bryanna Brown.
Brown was on that downtown W train and noticed a few people rushing over to help a young woman who had dropped to the floor.
The woman, named Brown, shared her experience, “I was just going about my day with my headphones on. Suddenly, as we approached 34th Street, I heard a woman crying out for help. Then, I heard a baby crying.”
Some passengers rushed to the conductor to stop the train and called 911. Another produced a pocket knife to cut the umbilical cord.
Brown commended the lady who assisted with the birth, stating, “The woman who held the baby managed to safely cut the umbilical cord and provide help. As far as we know, she wasn’t a medical professional but she sure knew what to do in that critical moment. We are grateful for her presence.”
“This is another example of New Yorkers coming together to help each other, assisted by caring transit workers and other responders, reflecting the best of the subway community and this city,” said NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow in a statement. “We are thrilled that both mother and Baby W are doing well, and look forward to welcoming both of them back aboard for a lifetime of reliable-and hopefully less dramatic-rides.”
There’s no word yet on the baby girl’s name, but with the video shared on Instagram, the comments have focused on how no one can claim to be more of a New Yorker than that little girl.
Brown says the young mother, who is 25, is a pretty hardcore New Yorker too.
“It takes being strong and strong-minded to really be a New Yorker in itself, so definitely giving kudos to her,” Brown said.
Paramedics took the mother and baby to NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue where they are in good condition, according to the MTA.
“Just seeing New York come together to actually support and help a woman was just, it was amazing,” Brown said.
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