Reporter David Clouston can be reached at 822-1403 or by e-mail at dclouston@salina.com.
By DAVID CLOUSTON
Salina Journal
Nine years ago when Dyan Barnes had her first daughter, she was in labor for 12 hours before delivering. Her third daughter was born three years ago after a four-hour induced labor.
So, when the Concordia mother called her husband, Josh, at work in Clay Center on Tuesday morning to tell him to come home because her contractions had started, she was confident they would have plenty of time to drive to Salina Regional Health Center, where she planned to give birth to their fourth child.
Their son-to-be had other plans.
"Each one of them have had their own little quirks about coming into the world," Josh Barnes said.
"His was the quirkiest," Dyan said Wednesday, holding Gunner Machiel, their healthy 8-pound, 2-ounce boy.
Gunner was born Tuesday morning during an emergency delivery at the emergency room at Ottawa County Health Center in Minneapolis.
The health center doesn't routinely deliver babies and doesn't have an obstetrics section or a nursery. Administrator Joy Johnson said the hospital was built 43 years ago. Because of its proximity to Salina, 20 minutes to the south, it was constructed without a surgery suite or a delivery room.
The Barnes' set off from Concordia for Salina about 10:20 a.m., even though Dyan's water had broken. They were approaching Minneapolis when Dyan asked her husband, 'Does Minneapolis have a hospital?' "
"I don't know," Josh replied. Dyan called 911 on her cell phone and got directions to the hospital. They met emergency room nurses and paramedics at the door, and a little more than five minutes later, Gunner was out and crying.
It happened so fast
"Everything happened so fast, there wasn't time to do anything but react," said Dr. Kelly Yoxall, who delivered Gunner. "I think I hit the door and about 15 seconds later he was in my hands."
Yoxall, a family practice doctor, hadn't delivered a baby for at least 13 years, and said he felt a little nervous. Knowing it wasn't Dyan's first baby helped.
"Mom took care of the hard part," Yoxall said.
Their emergency room has equipment for emergency deliveries, including an incubator that was purchased when a nurse at the hospital delivered there years ago.
"It's fairly old, but it is available," Yoxall said.
Mom and baby were transferred by ambulance to the hospital in Salina soon after delivery. They were scheduled to be released today to return home.
Dyan, who was originally scheduled to have labor induced Wednesday, said the couple didn't know ahead of time their baby was a boy. They were beaming Wednesday over their new son.
"I was having a hard time talking all day yesterday," said Josh, a driver for Girton Propane Service.
He was feeling a little swept up by the excitement of the emergency birth.
"The words just wouldn't come out."
n Reporter David Clouston can be reached at 822-1403 or by e-mail at dclouston@salina.com.
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