People across Texas went down into their cellars and hid in their closets Sunday to ride out the oncoming thunderstorm, as officials issued a tornado warning. But midwife Kasie McElhaney had a job to do. McElhaney, who was stationed at Bump Birthing Center in Rowlett, spent her evening in the laundry room helping one of her clients give birth to a baby girl.
Mech Metiege had just started to push when cellphones started buzzing with alerts of the oncoming storm.
Today reports that Metiege had her heart set on a water birth, but as soon as McElhaney got the alert, her hopes were dashed.
"[The alert] said there was a tornado on the ground near us,â McElhaney shared. âThen the power went out. Everything happened so fast. It sounded like the trees were going to blow down on the house."
The tornado was moving toward them at about 100 MPH, but Metiege still needed to give birth. âShe had just started pushing so we needed to think fast,â McElhaney recalled.
McElhaney and two of her apprentices decided to move Metiege down to the windowless laundry room. The space was small but it would have to do.
"We got blankets on the floor, we got supplies set up all over the room, and then candles everywhere," McElhaney told WIS News.Â
Seven people packed into the room, which was no bigger than an elevator. Meanwhile, all Metiege could think about were her labor pains. "I was just so focused on the pain from the contractions," she said.
It took about 30 minutes, but soon Metiege had given birth to her baby, a girl she named Mekani, which means joy, according to Today.
âWe were cheering her on by candlelight,â McElhaney explained. âIt was pretty special.â
âAs soon as the baby came out she was like laughing and âI canât believe I did it,ââ McElhaney told WIS. âI donât even think it really occurred to her that we were in the laundry room.â
"I was brought back on the bed and that's when I realized, 'Oh, there was something actually serious.' I'm just so grateful," Metiege said.
The story of Mekani's emergency birth started to spread after McElhaney posted a picture of the mom and her baby on Facebook.
She added the photos to The Bump Birthing Center Facebook page, where they have since been shared over 10,000 times.Â
"Welcome to the world beauty," the midwife captioned the post.
Soon, people were leaving comments sharing both their prayers and well-wishes.Â
"Such a beautiful thing, a child born in the perfect storm," one commenter wrote. "Wow, amazing God and a story to tell her child."
"In every disaster there is beauty!!!" another added. "Prayers for mom and baby and welcome to the world!!!"
"THAT'S how you make an entrance!" a third person commented.Â
It all goes to show that mamas truly are stronger than they even know.
