When little Jacey Angulo grows up, she’ll always be able to point out where she was born, by a tiny jewel of a valley lake, on an overcast October evening.
Her father, Ruben Angulo, said, “It says Sappho on her birth certificate, but it was really at the pull-out on Beaver Lake.”
Jacey Elaine Lynne Angelo came into the world at 5:55, October 20th, after her mother Courtney Angulo told father Ruben Angulo to get in the car, right now. But over thirty twisting and long miles stood between their home on Vista Point, near the Sekiu River, and the Forks Community Hospital.
Just before the pull-out at Beaver lake, Courtney said she couldn’t wait; the baby was coming now. Ruben only had time to pull off and park the car, before Courtney said she was ready to push. Ruben called 911.
Courtney’s sister Melissa Willis showed up in time to take the phone, and relay instructions, so Ruben could concentrate on helping his wife.
Ruben said, “I knew a little bit about what to do, mostly to support the head. She jumped into the back seat – “
“ ‘Jumped!?” protested Courtney, together with her mother Robyn Lynne Willis, holding her granddaughter during the interview.
“She rolled into the back seat,” corrected Ruben.
The baby was already crowning, and soon a frightening detail of the infant’s condition was revealed.
Ruben said, “The scariest part was the cord; it was wrapped around the neck.”
Ruben carefully unwrapped the cord, but the infant was having difficulty breathing. Following instructions from the 911 operator, he placed his mouth around his daughter’s and blew gently several times.
“Then stuff came out of her mouth and she sneezed, and she was good after that,” said Ruben.
The emergency vehicle showed up “about 20 minutes” after the birth, driven by EMT’s Diane Laiza and Norm Dauth. The EMT’s cut the cord, and mother and child were transferred to the emergency vehicle.
They continued on to the Forks Community Hospital, where they remained until Oct. 23.
Jacey weighed six pounds, fourteen ounces at birth, and was twenty and a half inches long.
“Almost exactly the same as her brother Jordan,” said Ruben. “Only five ounces less.”
Robyn Willis was in Alaska as the birth took place, and came home to a wonderful Hallowe’en present.
