Dad waits outside hospital as wife gives birth during pandemic
Mike Carney had to sit in the parking lot while his wife gave birth Monday at Spring Valley Hospital Medical Center.
His wife, Ashley, had a scheduled cesarean section, so Carney said he knew he wouldn’t be able to go into the operating room with her because of procedures the hospital put in place to protect patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But, he said, the hospital told him he’d be able to wait outside the room and meet his daughter as soon as she was born.
“It turns out they changed the rules, so me and my mom and stepdad, we all camped out here with some signs,” Carney said. “We’ve been out here since probably 9:30 this morning.”
By 3:30 p.m., Ashley had delivered a healthy baby girl.
Once Carney is let inside the room to meet his daughter, he said, he’s not allowed to leave.
“There’s no cigarette breaks, there’s no running to the gift shop or none of that. I’m either in or I’m out,” he said. “I only get one shot at it.”
Contact Alexis Egeland at aegeland@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0335. Follow @alexis_egeland on Twitter.