Tricycle Birth

Well, let me thank each of you for reading the news from the Philippines! This week I have a real treat for you! The other night, I (David) had just pulled up to the clinic, and had in my hands all the salary envelopes of the staff. It was around 6 in the evening, and it had been a long day. As I walked from my car to the clinic, I noticed a Tricycle pulling up. (A tricycle is a common form of transportation here, there are two types the Trike: a motorcycle with a side car add-on that can hold up to 4 people, then the “Trisikad” a bmx bike with a side care for 2 people.) This Tricycle was the Trisikad version and I noticed that a lot of kids on the street were gathering around it. Still nothing too abnormal for a night in the Philippines.

I calmly walked by the Trisikad and into the clinic, but as I glanced at the Trisikad I saw something abnormal! A Baby! I quickly yelled the code “Baby Out” which for your birth fans, means get moving. Hilary and Marielyn were moving as fast as they could. (I promise if I did not have all the worker’s salaries in my hands I would have helped.) Anyway, they quickly took care of the situation, and Hilary brought the baby in. The guard and the husband then carried the mom in, and after a few minutes the Trisikad driver went to find another passenger. (Hopefully a less eventful type!)

I came inside to talk to the husband and get the full story. So here it is: “We lived a few blocks from the clinic, but it is across a major road, so we tried to get a taxi. We waited and waited but no taxis came, so I tried to get a Trike to take us across (The motorized kind) but none of them would. So I asked 5 Trisikad drivers to do it, and finally the last one agreed. So as we crossed the major road and headed down Cabreros St. My wife kept telling me the baby was coming. I tried to calm her and help her hold on, but she was insistent that it was coming. So as we road down the street, we came to the corner near Glory Clinic and started to turn; then her water broke! I had no idea, but the Trisikad driver kept asking me why his feet were wet! Later I realized why…so my wife leaned over and our baby came out. Then an unsuspecting American just happened to be walking up the street and to his astonishment a baby was lying on the bench of a Trisikad, he said something unintelligable like ‘Baby Off’ and ran into the clinic.”

Pretty amazing stuff. The baby is healthy, the mom is healthy, and all the dad could say was “Salamat, Ginoo!” (Thank God!) We all had a great laugh and now we can say that we have had a “Van Delivery”, a “Taxi Delivery”, and now a “Trisikad Delivery”. Only in the Philippines!

Here is a picture of the family: