Oh, baby, what a good friend
Emergency delivery all in a day’s work for best buddies, By Ginny Raue Franklin Most girlfriends will share their favorite sweater, give love life advice and, for really close friends, confidentially tell when those new jeans are not too flattering. But Franklin Borough resident Priscilla Probst went far above the normal call of friendship duty recently. On Feb. 23 Probst’s very pregnant best friend, Jennifer Barrise, called and said she was on her way over her contractions had started, they were 30 minutes apart and she wanted some emotional support. She was about to deliver her fifth child. Barrise, 27, lives just around the corner, so her father and fiancé drove her over to Probst’s house. By the time she reached the front door her contractions were one minute apart and she was more than ready to give birth. Probst, also 27, knew Barrise was not going to make it to a hospital so she ran for blankets and towels and set up a makeshift delivery room on the kitchen floor. She encouraged Barrise to hold back, best she could. The baby’s father, Christopher Thomas Fitzpatrick, 19, called 911. Fortunately, Sgt. Jeffrey Smith of the Franklin Borough Police Department arrived quickly, just as the baby’s head was crowning. With the assistance of Probst and the Officer Smith, Christopher Thomas Fitzpatrick Jr., weighing in at 7 pounds, 15 ounces, made his debut. “Sgt. Smith was amazing,” Probst said. The officer cleared the baby’s nose with an aspirator Probst had at home for her own infant, wrapped the baby in receiving blankets and attended to mother and baby until the ambulance arrived to take them to Newton Hospital. According to Probst this was Sgt. Smith’s first home delivery. Probst, the mother of four children ranging in age from 12 weeks to 8 years old, said she didn’t have time to think and she wanted to stay calm for her friend. Possibly a new career A big fan of television’s’ “A Baby Story,” Probst has been toying with the idea of becoming a nurse or a midwife. “I think this has really pushed me to do it. I kept myself together, he was healthy, she was healthy, I felt really good about it,” she said. Meanwhile at Barrise’s house things are settling down into a routine as much of a routine as is possible with five boys: a newborn, a 15-month-old, and toddlers ages 3 and 4, plus an 8-year-old all needing Mom’s attention. Barrise said she doesn’t remember much of the delivery except for the love and encouragement she felt from her friend, fiancé and family and she feels eternal gratitude for Sgt. Smith. Her life is good, she said. With nine kids between these two best friends, all close in age, one can only imagine what a play date will be like.
She’s my best friend and I would do anything for her.” Priscilla Probst