Donegal dad delivers his baby in car and uses shoelaces to tie umbilical cord

A brave Donegal dad has delivered his baby in the backseat of the family car and used his own shoelaces to tie his newborn daughter's umbilical cord.

Mum-of-four Georgina Doherty has told how her husband, Paul, came to the rescue when the couple were forced to pull in to the side of the Main Buncrana Road to have their baby. The Irish Independent reports that Georgina and Paul set out on the short car journey across the border to Derry's Altnagelvin Hospital when the expectant mum went into labour on Saturday. However, the couple didn't make it as far as they would have liked and Paul was forced to pull in at the side of the road in order to help deliver his daughter. Baby Saphia was born at 1.39pm in the back of the family car, just a few minutes after they set out on their journey. Georgina has told how quick-thinking Paul used his own shoelace to tie Saphia's umbilical cord and then wrapped the newborn in a coat to keep her warm,

"It all happened so fast. We thought we had time but things happened so quickly. Paul managed to tie the umbilical cord using his shoelace and before we knew it the ambulance had arrived. We kept her warm with a coat we had in the car with us until the ambulance arrived a few minutes later. "Paul was very relaxed about it all. I suppose he had no choice really and she came so quickly in the end."

The couple, who hail from the small village of Burnfoot on the Inishowen peninsula in County Donegal, were taken to Altnagelvin Hospital by paramedics where their new arrival was given a clear bill of health. Little Saphia weighed in at 7lb 2oz and was soon visited in hospital by her siblings - Jake, Teigan and Shay.

"They all think it's great that they have a new sister and that she arrived so quickly. Myself and Paul are just relieved that Saphia is healthy."

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