A Florida woman welcomed her baby in the eye of the storm during Hurricane Milton after going into labour early.
Kenzie Lewellen, from Port Charlotte in south-west Florida, was one of seven mothers who gave birth at Sarasota Memorial Hospital in the middle of the once-in-a-century hurricane.
Sarasota Memorial Hospital said on Facebook the young mum, 22, started having contractions on October 9 as the deadly hurricane passed through her small town.
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When emergency services couldn’t reach them, she and her boyfriend Dewey Bennett III then made the dangerous 30km journey up the coast to the hospital.
“At 4am, Kenzie began labour at home in Port Charlotte while Hurricane Milton was making its presence known. After 4½ hours of labour, they braved the stormy weather to head to SMH-Venice,” Sarasota Memorial Health Care System said on Facebook.
“When they arrived safely, Dewey Bennett, the baby’s father, sighed with relief, recalling tragic circumstances surrounding his own father, also named Dewey, who passed away in 2017 when ambulances were delayed during Hurricane Irma.”
Lewellen welcomed Dewey Lester Bennett IV via caesarean on October 9, four days before her official due date.
The newborn is doing well and his parents are relieved their son safely arrived as Milton lashed the coast of Florida.
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We wanted to get in here before the storm came because we were really nervous that I was going to go into labour during the storm and then have no way to get to the hospital,” Lewellen told Good Morning America.
“It was all worth it because we have a beautiful little boy.”
In a statement to GMA, Sarasota Memorial Health Care System said staff at the hospital left the safety of their homes during Milton to care for patients.
“We couldn’t be prouder of our team. They left their homes and many left their families to be here for our patients and community during one of the most alarming hurricanes approaching the Suncoast,” said David Verinder, chief executive of Sarasota Memorial Health Care System.
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Hurricane Milton has brought widespread destruction across Florida after it made landfall this week.
At least 17 people have died from the storm and millions were without power as homes were wiped out during the worst of the wild weather.
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