CLEARFIELD – Although she has the littlest feet, a not-quite one-month-old baby girl has left the biggest footprints by warming the hearts of those who helped bring her into the world.
On the morning of April 7, Naomi Houdeshell was in labor at her Clearfield home. Victoria Houdeshell, who was the proudly awaiting “Nana,” tried calling 911 first. “But I was the dumbfounded one,” she recalls. “I dialed 119.”
Naomi’s sister, Alissa Bradley, then managed to get her fingers to work, dialed correctly and was connected to Brittany Biancuzzo at Clearfield County Dispatch. Biancuzzo talked Alissa through the standard protocol for childbirth for her to relay on to “Nana.”
“It was happening so fast,” said Biancuzzo. “I could hear her [Alissa] yelling in the background, ‘You should have just gone last night like we told you to.’” Naomi gave birth to baby Kiara at home at approximately 8:14 a.m. and within minutes of her sister’s call to 911
“Usually, when we get women who are in labor we’re able to get an ambulance there before they give birth.” Biancuzzo believed Clearfield Borough police would be able to respond more quickly and dispatched officers.
While en route to the home of Naomi’s family and new baby Kiara, Officer Nathan Curry couldn’t help but ask himself, “Where in the heck is the ambulance?” “I’d never done anything like this before,” he said. “I didn’t have training.”
“But we’re called upon to protect and serve the people in our community. I had to make sure the baby and her mom were OK.” Once in the home, Curry was talked through tying off baby Kiara’s umbilical cord with his shoelace and then took her into his arms.
Curry wanted to make sure the baby girl was warm enough and so he wrapped her in a towel and in his coat. Afterward Officer Kevin Orndorff transported Naomi and her brand-new baby girl to the DuBois Penn Highlands Hospital by ambulance.
“It’s good to share in something happy,” Biancuzzo said. “And, often we don’t get to see mom and baby after like this.”
Naomi said baby Kiara was born healthy at 7 pounds and 3.5 ounces, and she has been a “good baby.” Kiara joins her big brother, Caleb, who just turned one.
“It’s a great feeling [to help bring a new life into the world]. We all worked really well together, and now we have this beautiful and healthy baby girl,” said Curry.
Shortly after that, Curry took baby Kiara into his arms again. He looked down and asked her, “Do you remember me? I’m the first police officer you ever got to meet.”
