East Texas couple delivers their baby at home during winter storm

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Texas (KLTV) - For Cody and Patience Rushing, they expected the birth of their third child to be much like the previous two ─ going to a hospital and delivering there. That is, until Wednesday morning.

“She’s like, ‘I don’t think it’s his head’, and I was like ‘well, let me see,’ and I was like, ‘oh, yep, that’s the head honey. So we need to get to the bed and there’s probably going to be a baby here at the house,’” Cody Rushing said.

After a short time of mom having contractions, baby Comfort wasn’t going to wait any longer. With the help of dad, the baby was delivered in their home. But they discovered Comfort’s umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck about three times. He wasn’t breathing. They immediately started CPR.

“I was holding his body and hitting his back and as I turned him back up, all this green stuff came out and so I cleaned that off and he started taking a few more breaths and then the EMTs got there and they started finishing CPR on him,” Patience Rushing said.

From there, the journey to the hospital began. Mom rode in an ambulance and dad followed in a friend’s car. They made their way to a Titus County hospital through all the snow and ice.

“I have lived here for 35 years, which is all of my life, contrary to what my gray hair would tell you, and I have never seen this much snow and especially not for this long,” Cody said.

Since arriving at the hospital, Comfort’s condition has improved some.

“With all the fluid he took in, he was put on oxygen, he has an IV, and he was also given antibiotics, two different antibiotics. We’ll get the blood culture back tomorrow to see if he had an infection. They’re thinking likely not, but it’s always possible,” Patience said.

Despite not going as planned, the family credits their faith for helping bring their new baby into the world.

“He worked it all out in his perfect time and we’re just thankful to him for delivering this baby safely into the world,” Cody said.

Pending some test results, the family is hoping to bring baby Comfort home on Friday.