On May 15, Michael Williams had a wonderfully exciting but frightening experience that few people have had in modern times. He delivered his own child — not by choice, but by necessity.

Mother Wendy Wells frantically announced that she would not make it to the hospital or even to the car. Dad was forced to take matters into his own hands and do what he had only heard or seen on TV.

Big sister Savanna, a fifth-grader at Thomas Elementary, was shooed out to the carport, where she could only listen to her mother’s screams of pain.

It took only a few minutes of Mom’s pushing and Dad’s coaching to bring baby Ashton into the world. Right in the center of the kitchen of their Varnado home, Wells gave birth to a 8 pound, 3 ounce bundle of joy.

During the ordeal, Williams took a second out to call 911 and get an ambulance on its way. Northshore EMS arrived soon after the baby and found him neatly wrapped on his mother’s chest. The EMT was able to cut the navel cord since Williams had only his pocketknife handy.

All were then transported to LSU Bogalusa Medical Center, where many of the staff members were anxiously waiting outside for the ambulance to arrive.

To everyone’s relief there were no complications. Everything went well.

First responder Joe Thibodaux visited the hospital the next day, eager to hold the baby. He said that sharing in this new life was his most rewarding experience as a first responder.

Ashton Russell Lee Williams is the grandson of Linda Sue Martin and the late Russell M. Williams. He is also the grandson of Sidney Lee Wells and the late Lisa Dipietro. He has two sisters, Savanna and Aubrie.