Sariah Trevino and Daniel Garcia have one thing in common: They know how to make an entrance.
Both newborns, who were delivered by paramedics this week, got their baptism in the media limelight at news conferences Wednesday.
Sariah, who caused a bit of a stir Tuesday when she was born just inside the front entrance of the Denver Central Library, on West 14th Avenue Parkway, slept through her debut Wednesday at Denver Health Medical Center.
A couple of hours later in Lafayette, Daniel, who was born late Monday in 2-degree temperatures on the shoulder of U.S. 36, took in the attention with equal aplomb.
Daniel’s mom, 19-year-old Casandra Garcia, who had heard about the Denver library birth, said, “at least she was warmer than me.”
Eighteen-year-old Dominique Trevino was on her way to the hospital Tuesday, riding the “0” bus, when she started having contractions.
A woman on the bus who works at the hospital noticed what was going on, Trevino recalled. She told the expectant mother to get off the bus at the library and used her cellphone to call for an ambulance.
“I tried to get to Denver Health,” Trevino said sheepishly. “I didn’t make it.”
Trevino said as she walked from the bus toward the library, she knew the baby was coming in a hurry.
Once inside the library, Trevino lay down on the floor and people inside, including library security, began to help. Trevino had to push only twice to deliver her baby girl.
Still, it was a scary few moments.
“My main concern was, would I be able to push her out?” Trevino recounted. “Would she be OK?”
Paramedics Maryanne Foerster and Jeremy Greene arrived just about the time Trevino was giving birth.
“Mom did all the work,” Foerster said as she cradled a sound-asleep Sariah. “She was just coming out when we got there.”
The paramedics wrapped the baby in a blanket and took the pair to the medical center.
Sariah weighed 5 pounds, 12 ounces, and was 19 inches long. Her due date was today.
Casandra Garcia gave birth to Daniel at 11:34 p.m. Monday in the back of an ambulance after her Jeep Cherokee ran out of gas en route to Exempla Good Samaritan Medical Center in Lafayette. Garcia said her gas gauge is broken and does not register when gas levels are below one-quarter full.
In 2-degree temperatures, Westminster Fire Rescue paramedics said, the biggest challenge was keeping Garcia and Daniel warm.
“Even on a warm day, that’s hard. So we focused our efforts on that,” said Jack Lieser, the paramedic who delivered Daniel.
During a news conference Wednesday, Garcia thanked Lieser and paramedic Nate Olson for their efforts. Lieser and Olson greeted her with a vase of tulips and took turns holding Daniel .
“The EMTs — I don’t know if I could have done it without them,” Garcia said.
Westminster Fire Rescue arrived on the scene next to the “Butterfly Pavilion Next Exit” sign at 11:25 p.m.
Lieser said paramedics immediately prepped to drive her to the hospital but when Garcia said “no, this is happening right now,” Lieser realized Daniel would not wait.
“Two to three pushes” later, Garcia said, Daniel arrived at 5 pounds, 12 ounces . He wasn’t due until Feb. 21.
Lieser has now delivered three babies in roadside emergencies.
