‘Miracle babies’ born amidst Queensland flood disaster

‘Miracle babies’ born amidst Queensland flood disaster

Two Queensland mums have given birth to their ‘miracle babies’ at Brisbane’s Mater Mothers’ Hospital thanks to local heroes who rescued them from rising flood waters surrounding their homes.
 
Heavily pregnant and with flood water rising up the driveway of her Taringa home, Krystle Henry was kayaked to dry land, thanks to a kind and quick-thinking neighbour.
 
Ms Henry and her partner Matt Bridges welcomed their baby boy, Angus, at Mater Mothers’ Hospital  at 7.30am on Tuesday 1 March , weighing 3.7kg.
 
Mr Bridges said he would be forever grateful to his neighbour.
 
“We didn’t know Rob, but he was more than happy to help us out and I’m so thankful Angus arrived safely,” he said.
 
“We’ve got a pandemic baby with two-year-old daughter, Olive, born in 2020 and now we have a flood baby.”
 
Mater obstetrician Dr Paul Conaghan said he had never delivered a baby in such chaotic circumstances.
 
“Considering the situation, Krystle and Matt remained very calm.  I couldn’t imagine being 39 weeks pregnant and stuck in flood waters,” he said.
 
For Sherwood couple, Felicity and Alex Jacques, it was the local SES team who transported them to safety only hours before their baby boy arrived.
 
They had been to lunch at Mr Jacques’ mother’s home on Saturday when flood water continued to rise.
 
They called the SES for assistance on Sunday when water had risen close to the top of the traffic lights nearby.
 
“The SES took us safely to dry land at Toowong,” Mrs Jacques said.
 
“We stayed at a hotel near the hospital overnight and I went into labour in the early hours of the next morning.
 
“I hate to think what would have happened if we weren’t close to the hospital.
 
“I’m so relieved our little one is here. He is definitely a little miracle.”
 
Andrew Jacques was born on Tuesday 1 March, weighing 3.35kg.
 
Mater Mother’s Hospital Chief Operating Officer, Paula Foley said many mums and families had gone to unforeseen lengths to get to the hospital to have their babies in the past week.
 
“It’s been an incredibly stressful time for many of our new mums and dads, but we’ve had 188 babies born at Mater Mothers’ Hospital and Mater Mothers' Private Brisbane in the past week, despite the flooding,” she said.
 
Mater Mothers is Australia's largest maternity services provider, with more than 12 000 babies born every year.

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Mater Babies
This Year
1917
This Month
942
= two + four

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For urgent assessment at any stage of your pregnancy, please present to your nearest emergency centre or Mater Mothers’ 24/7 Pregnancy Assessment Centre in South Brisbane.

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