Urologist Dr Dr Sij Hemal, 27, delivered a baby during an international Air France Flight from Paris to New York. Local caption: Dr. Hemal was seated next to French pediatrician, Dr. Susan Shepherd, a
Add to Lightbox DownloadA urology doctor delivered a baby boy during an eight-hour Air France flight from Paris to New York. Dr Sij Hemal, 27, was moments away from enjoying a glass of champagne in first class when he had to jump into action after 41-year-old passenger Toyin Ogundipe went into labor. Dr Hemal, a second-year urology resident at Cleveland Clinic’s Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute, safely delivered the baby — who was named Jake — before tying the umbilical cord with a makeshift surgical clamp… a shoe string. By chance, Dr Hemal had been seated next to a French pediatrician Dr. Susan Shepherd, who was able to help and gave the baby boy a clean bill of health upon delivery. Dr Hemal had been on a day-long journey from New Delhi, India, when the drama unfolded, and was making his way back to the U.S. after attending his best friend’s wedding the day before. “I was pretty tired from jet lag,” Dr Hemal said. “I thought I’d just have a drink and fall asleep. As it turned out, I’m glad I didn’t drink anything.” Ms Ogundipe, a banker who resides between the UK and Nigeria, was traveling with her four-year-old daughter Amy when she suddenly went into labor about midway into the December 17 flight, just as the jet skirted the southern coast of Greenland, 35,000 feet below. An emergency landing would have required a two-hour diversion to a U.S. military base in the Azores Islands, so Dr. Hemal recommended to the pilot they continue to JFK International Airport, which was still four hours away. “Her contractions were about 10 minutes apart, so the pediatrician and I began to monitor her vital signs and keep her comfortable,” Dr Hemal explained. The doctors used instruments and supplies in the flight’s scanty medical kit to routinely check Ms Ogundipe’s vital signs, including blood pressure, oxygen rate and pulse. But within the course of an hour, Toyin’s contractions accelerated; they occurred seven, then five and finally two minutes apart. “T
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Dr Hemal Dr Sij Hemal Dr. Hemal Ms Ogundipe eight-hour Air France second-year urology resident French pediatrician Dr. passenger Toyin Ogundipe baby boy makeshift surgical clamp… four-year-old daughter Amy scanty medical kit JFK International Airport roomier first-class section U.S. military base vital signs urology doctor Off-duty doctor international flight Glickman Urological New York day-long journey n’t drink umbilical cord Cleveland Clinic jet lag Kidney Institute two-hour diversion shoe string Azores Islands Toyin Ogundipe France U.S. Dr. Susan Shepherd Paris New Delhi Jake — Greenland blood pressure India Amy Nigeria UK 35 000 feet two minutes 10 minutes eight-hour four hours four-year two-hour 41-year
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- Off-duty doctor, 27, delivers baby during international flight - 18 Jan 2018

