Morgan Lee woke up in the early morning hours of Oct. 11 and knew it was time to get to the hospital. A new transplant to the greater Houston area, the pregnant Mom of three and her husband didn’t have family near-by. So, with her husband at home watching the kids, Lee had to make the hour-long trek from El Campo, TX to Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital for the impending birth of their third child.
“We drove 16 hours from Nebraska to Houston when we moved here and the short drive to the hospital was much more difficult,” said Lee.
Unsure of where to park when she arrived, she chose the closest parking lot and called the Labor and Delivery Unit.
“I needed help. I knew the baby was coming and that I couldn’t walk up to the hospital. They said they’d be right down with a wheelchair,” added Lee.
The Unit sent a nurse downstairs with a wheelchair and alerted security that a pregnant patient was in need of assistance. When the nurse couldn’t locate the patient, security was dispatched. Within minutes, Memorial Hermann Security Officer Sandra Cartagena located Lee.
“I walked outside the main hospital doors and heard screaming coming from an area near the professional building. I started running and saw Morgan laying on the sidewalk,” said Officer Cartagena.
Officer Cartagena was prepared to wait with Lee until the medical rapid response team arrived, but baby Charlie had other plans.
“Morgan told me she needed to push. The baby’s head was crowning and I realized we didn’t have much time,” said Officer Cartagena. “Time seemed to pass in slow motion, but Charlie was in my arms in just two or three minutes. While I don’t have medical training, basic knowledge told me I needed to get the baby to cry, so I gently rocked her. Charlie’s cries were like music to my ears – it meant she was breathing.”
Officer Cartagena placed Charlie on Lee’s chest. Shortly thereafter, help arrived to safely transport Mom and Baby into the hospital.
Later that day, Officer Cartagena got a call from the hospital’s birth registrar asking for the correct spelling of her name. To her surprise and delight, Officer Cartagena was listed on the birth certificate as the delivering doctor.
Today, the Lee family and baby Charlie are settling in at home. Both Mom and baby are doing very well.
“I was blessed to have Sandra there with me during Charlie’s birth,” said Lee. “I know it’s an experience neither of us will ever forget.”