Kim Bishop, with the help of neighbor, Gayla Ables, delivered Paisley Faye, on Wednesday, January 18 in an apartment in Alexandria.
(Photo: Jenny Renbarger)

Neighbor delivers baby in Alexandria apartment
By JENNY RENBARGER
Kim Bishop is a mother of three, well four now. At age 31, she is not new to giving birth, so with, her third pregnancy, and a cesarean scheduled for Friday, January 20, she didn’t question the Marion Hospital ER staff when they sent her home the evening of January 17.
Kim wasn’t feeling well and was experiencing back pains, so, she went to the hospital on Tuesday. The attending physician sent her home, telling her she was not in labor. She suffered through the night barely sleeping.
Wednesday morning, not feeling any better, Kim embarked on the help of her mother, Penny Wash and neighbor Gayla Ables. Penny made plans to take Kim back to the hospital that morning after taking her husband to work. Gayla, who lives downstairs and had expected Kim to deliver Tuesday evening, went upstairs to check on Kim and have a cup of coffee. She was surprised Kim was home and alarmed at the condition she was in. She suggested they take Kim back to the hospital that morning. Gayla went back downstairs. Penny had gone out to warm up the car before taking her husband to work, she asked Gayla to come back upstairs to sit with Kim while she was gone.
Gayla sat with Kim, and actually timed contractions, now Kim was in labor. The contractions were coming every minute, and lasting for about 42 seconds. Gayla was praying for Penny to come home, but realized they were not going to have time to make it to the hospital in Marion; and was waiting for Penny to get back before dialing 911.
Kim told Gayla she needed to go to the bathroom. When she did, Kim says she felt something, reached down, and felt the baby’s head. She called for Gayla. Gayla felt the head beginning to crown and got Kim to the floor, while now, dialing 911. It was later discovered, Gayla, while trying to take care of Kim and dial, misdialed two times. In her pajamas, slippers, and coat, and on the phone with 911, Gayla saw the baby’s head emerge, she thought the umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby’s neck, and tried to clear it with two fingers, as well as clean out the baby’s mouth. With a few more pushes from Kim, Gayla was able to get the shoulders out, and see the cord was draped around the baby, and not life threatening. She flipped the infant onto Kim’s belly. It was sad, said Gayla, “Kimmy kept telling me to make her cry, but I couldn’t. I knew she was breathing, but I couldn’t make her cry.”
Alexandria Police and Alexandria Fire Departments responded to the call. The Fire Department EMTs took care of the baby, and finished the birthing process. Kim and baby Paisley were taken to Community Hospital, where they stayed for the standard 48 hours.
Once the EMTs arrived, and took Kim, baby, along with Penny to the hospital, Gayla cleaned the bathroom, went to the hospital to check on everyone, called everyone she knew; and then she sat down and said, “What just happened?”
Penny was stopped by a train on her way back from taking her husband to work; she turned the corner to see the emergency vehicles. Once entering the apartment she heard, “Welcome Paisley” and cried.
Gayla says when she looked at her calendar; it was the only day without something on it. Now it says “BIRTH”. She says, “I’ll never forget her, ever in my life. It’s unexplainable.”
Paisley Faye was born on Wednesday, January 18, at 8:52 a.m. in an apartment on S. Harrison Street. She weighted 6 pounds, and 5.8 ounces, and was 19 inches long. Mother, child, grandmother, and neighbor are all doing well.