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MedStar rescuers had a chance to meet the families and patients they've recently helped through critical situations.
Three families were introduced to their dispatchers Wednesday morning at MedStar’s headquarters in Fort Worth.
Two of the families were helped through unexpected births. Allison Marquardt was home alone when she went into labor on May 13. She delivered her son by herself, with help from MedStar 911 dispatcher Kate Gillinger, who talked her through the delivery on the phone.
Wednesday, Gillinger held the baby boy, Augustine, and met Marquardt for the first time.
“She was wonderful. Her demeanor and willingness to help herself makes my job easier,” Gillinger said.
Marquardt’s husband, Ryan, was 30 minutes away when she went into labor, and a neighbor wasn't home, so she called 911. First responders got there minutes after Augustine was born.
“Everything was so intense,” Marquardt said. “I had a feeling it wasn't going to be long."
Ryan Marquardt arrived to see paramedics surrounding his wife.
‘It's like, ‘oh my gosh, what happened?’” he said. “‘Are they both ok?’ is the first thing going through my mind. As soon as I entered the doorway, the paramedic hands over my son and said, ‘Here you go, congratulations.’”