By John Hacker, Carthage Press
Carthage, Mo. — Brandi Rush was prepared for a big morning on Oct. 29.

She was nine-months pregnant and she was slated to go to the hospital at 5 a.m. that day so her doctor could induce her labor, but baby Baylor had other ideas.

“It happened so fast, suddenly he was there,” Brandi Rush said Tuesday evening at the Jasper County 9-1-1 Board meeting.

Rush was there with her baby, Baylor, husband Roger and two other children Braden and Brooke to thank dispatcher Drew LeMasters for his strong words and advice during the ordeal.

LeMasters was humble. He said by the time the Rushes called, the baby had been born and he gave advice as to how to care for the child before rescue personnel could get to the Rushes home, which sits about halfway between Jasper and Carthage.

“By the time they called, I was just giving safety advice,” LeMasters, Carthage, said. “Roger did a great job.”

“We were prepared to go to the hospital,” Brandi Rush said. “It was just me and my husband at home, the kids were off at their grandma’s.”

Brandi Rush said she basically gave birth to baby Baylor herself while her husband was calling 9-1-1.

“I didn’t have time to be scared,” Brandi Rush said. “It happened just like that.”

Rush said her mother, who lived close by, was the first to arrive, then the firefighters and ambulance personnel got to the home.

While she was waiting, LeMaster’s calm advice was a big help, Rush said.

“There was a lot of stress,” she said. “He was very helpful while we were waiting for the EMTs to get there. They were wonderful too. We just can’t thank them enough.”

While everyone talked at the dispatch center, baby Baylor looked around at all the strange people and took in his surroundings.

Brandi Rush said there were no complications to the birth, other than the fact that it happened at home.

“At least he was healthy,” Brandi Rush said. “He’s perfect.”

About the Author
John Hacker is managing editor of the Carthage Press. Contact him at [email protected].

Posted with permission of the Carthage Press.