Nevaeh Llantada, 6, Helps Deliver Baby Brother

Nevaeh Llantada, 6, gives her mother, Destiny Padilla, a kiss goodbye after visiting her in the lobby of the Community Hospital of San Bernardino on Wednesday, April 25, 2012.

She isn't an OB-GYN and she isn’t a midwife, but that didn't stop 6-year-old Nevaeh Llantada from helping to deliver her own baby brother on Wednesday morning in her Colton, Calif., home.

The Press Enterprise reports that Nevaeh's mother, 22-year-old Destiny Padilla, wasn't expecting to go into labor until June but woke up early Wednesday in pain. Her boyfriend had already left for work, and the battery on her cellphone was dead so she couldn't call 911.

At 7:20 a.m., Destiny's water broke in her living room with Nevaeh by her side. Mom was scared, but as she told the Press Enterprise, "[Nevaeh] was telling me to calm down and relax."

Eventually, Destiny was able to charge her phone and reach 911. The mom and daughter team followed the operator's instructions -- Nevaeh took a shoelace from her younger sister's shoe so that her mom could tie it around the baby’s umbilical cord.

"My heart was like thump, thump, thump fast," Nevaeh said.

Paramedics came and transferred Destiny and her new son to Community Hospital of San Bernardino. The family said both mom and baby are doing well.

Nevaeh joins the ranks of a few other kids who have stepped up in emergency labor situations. In August 2011, 12-year-old Gaelan Edwards delivered his little brother when his mother's water broke at home -- he said he knew what to do from reading medical books and watching hospital TV shows. And in 2009, 6-year-old Diyana Johnson helped her mom deliver when her baby sister arrived four weeks early.

For more of Nevaeh and Destiny’s story, click over to The Press Enterprise.

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Comments

[Kaurina]

03:21 PM on 05/12/2012

ehm, it's all very nice that the kid was there to be involved, but can I just point out the obvious - the baby would have been born even if no one else was around. It's not as if the woman can't birth the baby without someone else there. Duh.

And the tying the dirty shoelace thing is such an outdated idea. Evidence now shows that there's absolutely no need to tie or cut the cord at an unplanned home birth. They can do it when they get to the hospital, which they would do at an unplanned home birth anyway. 911 needs to revise it's advice.

[acn1359]

01:40 PM on 04/28/2012

A future OBSTATRICIAN

[eyeforeye42]

06:27 AM on 04/28/2012

Talk about an instant education. All kids are good kids and will help in an emergency!

[Brianna Cole]

02:13 AM on 04/28/2012

Darling little girl. She is very brave and has a bright future ahead of her.

[Angela Burnfield Marsh]

11:55 PM on 04/27/2012

Everyone here is making such negative comments...granted, medicaid is being abused by people who keep having children, not all of them are unmarried women...*GASP* plenty of married women do the same thing! Where are all the compliments on this child's bravery?? Kudos to this brave little girl who did just what was necessary to help out with a big job!!

[bmitche]

10:47 PM on 04/27/2012

I realize this is 2012, but helping to deliver a baby is not a job for a 6-year-old child.

[Angela Burnfield Marsh]

11:52 PM on 04/27/2012

It might not be, but when a baby's coming, you can't just clench your legs together and stop it. Sometimes, a child's bravery is bigger than our own.

[leavesbound]

05:30 AM on 04/28/2012

So you think she should have just left her mom and gone to the other room to watch TV like a "normal" six year old? Ideally, of course, no six year old should have to do this true but when faced with an emergency one does what one must do even if one is only six years old.

[betty2work]

09:46 PM on 04/27/2012

i messed up - This was probably her 3rd baby - and probably with Different dads.
--
WHEN is the U.S. going to start Collecting Child Support for all those who have FATHERED a child?? instead of the tax payers having to Support these women.

[norinecat]

10:27 PM on 04/27/2012

I've been asking the same question for many years. Never received a response to many letters. The politicians don't seem to want to touch this issue.

[leavesbound]

05:38 AM on 04/28/2012

Probably? You must have read a different article than I did, unless you are just making assumptions. The article does not mention anything about her marital status nor how many fathers are involved nor does it say anything about her receiving public assistance in any way. You are inventing facts about somebody you obviously do not know so that you have something sensational to complain about. My mother had five children, all by my father who married her when she was 16, I am the oldest and was born prior to her 17th birthday. My parents never took so much as a dime from anyone, my father worked hard to suport his family. Why must you assume the worst then spread nasty rumors? Does this somehow entertain you?

[tccat4]

09:52 AM on 04/28/2012

leaves.. the code word in the story is Boyfriend....

[ms04121966]

10:41 PM on 04/27/2012

Did you read the part where the boyfriend had already left for WORK?

[leavesbound]

05:43 AM on 04/28/2012

What a horrible thing to say about somebody you don't know! Do you always go around acusing random mothers you don't know? The article specifically states that the father was at work at the time. Work = he is suporting her. "Hopefully not on food stamps." Hopefully you have not raped any babies lately.

[betty2work]

09:38 PM on 04/27/2012

Unmarried at 22 yrs old. Has a 6 yr old (so was 16 when born) Probably gets food stamps, etc. for the kids.

[leavesbound]

05:45 AM on 04/28/2012

Probably? You must have missed the part where the article mentions the father at work. Probably you steal from your employer.

[c6d6]

01:23 PM on 04/28/2012

My mother-in-law had three children by the time she was 22. She and my f-i-l eloped to Kentucky because she was pregnant at 16. Now they have 6 kids, 15 grandkids, and more than 15 great-grandkids and have been married for over 60 years.

You are an idiot.

[JC2009USA]

08:47 PM on 04/27/2012

Little brother is gonna be indebted forever to big sis...hope she wasn't to traumatized by the whole thing...life is a learning experience...best to the family and the new baby.

[berrygal66]

11:24 PM on 04/27/2012

I doubt that the little girl was traumatized. She has to be mature having a 22 year old mother!

[Nancy Carrita]

06:19 PM on 04/27/2012

as little nevaeh thinks to herself, ''well, so much for that cabbage patch crap''

[klasakt]

05:17 PM on 04/27/2012

Smart kids. Congratulations to the family and kudos to the little girl!

[Suzy King]

04:44 PM on 04/27/2012

I just love it!

[Mz Tee]

04:22 PM on 04/27/2012

GOOD JOB!!!!!! Big sister to the rescue....

[kochmechanical]

03:26 PM on 04/27/2012

What a good little girl to help her mom like that! However, maybe mom could be a little more responsible and keep a phone charged (or get a land line) in case of emergencies-sheesh.