Sgt. Jon-Erik Negron has earned the nickname "the baby whisperer" in his unit after helping deliver five babies in just as many years.
Sgt. Jon-Erik Negron has rightfully earned the nickname "the baby whisperer" in his unit after helping deliver five babies in just as many years. According to ABC7 Eyewitness News, Negron's latest experience with childbirth took place on Saturday when he was one of the Suffolk County Police Department officers who responded to a 911 call from Rebecca Reyes.
The 37-year-old sergeant along with fellow officers Jadin Rodriguez and Zachary Vormittag arrived at the scene before paramedics and found their colleague, Officer Conor Diemer, already aiding the mother in labor.
Police Officer Delivers 5th Baby in 5 Years After Responding to 911 Call in N.Y.: 'Baby Whisperer' https://t.co/E00oOsuQmI
— People (@people) November 29, 2022
"As soon as he said she's starting to push, I said, 'This sounds like something I've heard before,'" Negron told NBC News. "I took the approach just like a coach in this situation. In the first four deliveries, I was there by myself doing it, so I said, 'Let me supervise and do what I can."
The infant’s father, Juan Maldonado, arrived home just in time to hold Reyes' head while the officers assisted her in childbirth. According to PEOPLE, baby Owen Anthony Maldonado was born after twelve minutes of labor weighing in at 6 lbs. 13 oz. "Everyone took over. We could not have done it without each other," officer Rodrigues admitted.
The mother and her baby were transported by ambulance to Stony Brook University Hospital where they will remain for a few days for monitoring. According to Newsday, speaking of the officers' timely arrival and aid in her childbirth, Reyes said: "I just want to thank them so much for showing up as soon as they did and being able to help me, because, without them, I would've given birth to my baby alone."
Negron's streak as "the baby whisperer" began in 2017 while responding to a call from a woman in active labor. He arrived to find the umbilical cord wrapped around the baby's neck. Once the infant's neck was carefully freed, Negron used a turkey baster to get fluid out of the baby’s throat which allowed the infant to breathe.
"People told me I went white after the first time I delivered a baby. We just sat around the house for a minute, and just kind of regrouped our thoughts," Negron told reporters this week." I thought my childbirth days were over when I became a sergeant this year. but I guess the record lives on, so we'll see how many we can take it to."
Now, he is not only a sergeant but also a godfather to the first child he helped deliver. Sgt. Negron, who joined the police department in 2013 and doesn’t have any children of his own, is also ready to deliver more babies in the future if he gets the call.
References:
https://abc7ny.com/baby-delivery-suffolk-county-police-officers-shirley/12497262/
https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/police-officer-delivers-5-babies-in-9-years-155502149900
https://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/suffolk-police-officers-deliver-baby-exfton21
https://people.com/human-interest/police-officer-delivers-fifth-baby-five-years-911-call/
Cover Photo Source: NBC News / Youtube