A Wilmington, Massachusetts, mother has reunited with the police officer who helped deliver her baby last week, creating a bond that will last a lifetime.
Tatiana Topala and her newly expanded family met with Wilmington Police Officer Jack Rooney Thursday at the public safety building.
At around 2:25 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28, Topala woke up with contractions in her home on Lowell Street. It wasn't long before she realized she was going into labor.
"I knew that the baby was coming and I just yelled that he needs to call 911 right away," Topala said. "When I felt a lot of pressure, I understood that this is it, I'm not gonna make it."
Luckily, Rooney was on a detail right down the road. He was able to get to Topala's door in about 30 seconds. Officer Kyle Collins arrived a few minutes later.
"The baby's head was already crowning," Rooney said.
Rooney helped get Topala to the floor while her husband, Denis Gotonoaga, grabbed a yoga mat and blankets and placed their 3-year-old toddler, Thomas, in front of a loud TV in the other room.
In between a bathroom door frame, Topala started to push. When the baby's head came out, the umbilical cord was around his neck.
"I just moved it a little bit and the baby started crying, so I was like, 'oh, that's a good sign,'" Rooney said.
Just five minutes after the initial 911 call, baby Oliver was born. Paramedics then transferred the healthy mom and baby to Winchester Hospital.
"We dried him off and got him bundled up and put him right on mommy's chest and let him rest there for a while and then we slowly got everything organized," said Steve Betman, a paramedic who responded to the scene.
For Officer Rooney, it was just his fifth month on the job.
"First time holding a baby too, so a lot of new experiences all at once," he said.
While it was not the delivery they expected, Topala and Gotonoaga said it's given them a deep appreciation for the first responders who were there when they needed them most and an unbelievable story they'll tell Oliver every year on his birthday.
"I'm really grateful that the police officers came in and they were right around the corner, this happened how it happened," Topala said. "We will always be grateful for everybody that came in and helped us."
