Woman gave birth at carpark in Bukit Panjang
by inSing Editor
inSing.com - 16 July 2012 4:49 PM | Updated 4:58 PM
Photo / Screen grab from www.OMY.sg)
With many parents in Singapore fussing over the planning of their babies’ births, right down to picking the exact delivery dates, it is not so often you hear this kind of story - of how twins Harvey and Hazel Qu were born.
It was a stormy 4 July. Just after Mr Qu Wang Jze, 35, a civil servant, dropped off his 18-month-old son at a childcare centre, he received a call from his wife.
A heavily pregnant Madam Tan Swee Gek told him her waterbag had burst.
He rushed home in 10 minutes to take her to the hospital. However, when they were near the intersection between Bangkit Road and Bukit Panjang Ring Road, his wife told him she felt as if she was about to give birth.
Mr Qu quickly drove to an open-air carpark at block 254 along Bangkit Road so that he may call for an ambulance.
The next thing he knew, he saw the head of his baby and started shouting for help.
Two women who were passing by the area went over. One of them went to the backseat to help with the birth, while the other called for an ambulance, Lianhe Wanbao reported.
Mr Qu said his son was delivered at around 8.40am. With no shelter at the carpark and rain pouring on them, the two women held umbrellas over them while he wrapped the baby with the clothes they had packed for the hospital.
Then, he remembered that his wife was expecting twins.
He told his wife to continue pushing and his daughter came out about four minutes later.
Mr Qu said: “When the ambulance arrived, the paramedics helped to cut the umbilical cords from the babies. The two women continued to hold the umbrellas and left only when we boarded the ambulance to the National University Hospital.”
The two women who offered their help that day were Ms Zheng Huiting, 30, who works in customer service at a bank, and an Indonesian domestic helper in her 20s.
Ms Zheng said that she was off duty that day and was on her way to buy breakfast when she saw a domestic helper approaching her to borrow her mobile phone. The helper had heard Mr Qu’s cry for help. Ms Zheng then went over as well to see what was happening.
Ms Zheng also went to the carpark entrance to direct the ambulance in, because she was worried that it may not be able to find its way.
Madam Tan was discharged from hospital the next day and baby Harvey went home four days later. However, as his twin sister Hazel was underweight, she had to undergo further observations.
Mr Qu said he would like to thank the two women, the paramedics and staff members from the hospital for their assistance, calling it “a thrilling but special experience” for him and his wife.
by inSing Editor
inSing.com - 16 July 2012 4:49 PM | Updated 4:58 PM
Photo / Screen grab from www.OMY.sg)
With many parents in Singapore fussing over the planning of their babies’ births, right down to picking the exact delivery dates, it is not so often you hear this kind of story - of how twins Harvey and Hazel Qu were born.
It was a stormy 4 July. Just after Mr Qu Wang Jze, 35, a civil servant, dropped off his 18-month-old son at a childcare centre, he received a call from his wife.
A heavily pregnant Madam Tan Swee Gek told him her waterbag had burst.
He rushed home in 10 minutes to take her to the hospital. However, when they were near the intersection between Bangkit Road and Bukit Panjang Ring Road, his wife told him she felt as if she was about to give birth.
Mr Qu quickly drove to an open-air carpark at block 254 along Bangkit Road so that he may call for an ambulance.
The next thing he knew, he saw the head of his baby and started shouting for help.
Two women who were passing by the area went over. One of them went to the backseat to help with the birth, while the other called for an ambulance, Lianhe Wanbao reported.
Mr Qu said his son was delivered at around 8.40am. With no shelter at the carpark and rain pouring on them, the two women held umbrellas over them while he wrapped the baby with the clothes they had packed for the hospital.
Then, he remembered that his wife was expecting twins.
He told his wife to continue pushing and his daughter came out about four minutes later.
Mr Qu said: “When the ambulance arrived, the paramedics helped to cut the umbilical cords from the babies. The two women continued to hold the umbrellas and left only when we boarded the ambulance to the National University Hospital.”
The two women who offered their help that day were Ms Zheng Huiting, 30, who works in customer service at a bank, and an Indonesian domestic helper in her 20s.
Ms Zheng said that she was off duty that day and was on her way to buy breakfast when she saw a domestic helper approaching her to borrow her mobile phone. The helper had heard Mr Qu’s cry for help. Ms Zheng then went over as well to see what was happening.
Ms Zheng also went to the carpark entrance to direct the ambulance in, because she was worried that it may not be able to find its way.
Madam Tan was discharged from hospital the next day and baby Harvey went home four days later. However, as his twin sister Hazel was underweight, she had to undergo further observations.
Mr Qu said he would like to thank the two women, the paramedics and staff members from the hospital for their assistance, calling it “a thrilling but special experience” for him and his wife.
