Unexpected moments can turn an ordinary commute into a life-changing event, and sometimes strangers have to step in as midwives when emergencies strike.
It was claimed recently that several passers-by stepped in to help when a woman had to deliver her baby along the side of a road in Pasir Gudang, Johor.
Did this really happen as claimed in a viral video?
Verdict:
TRUE
A young mother experienced a tense moment when she had to deliver her baby by the roadside near a traffic light.
The incident took place in Pasir Gudang at around 2pm on Aug 10, and other road users rushed to help the woman deliver her baby.
Housewife Syarifah Munawwarah Sayed Muhammad, 36, said she and her husband were on their way to a pickleball sports centre.
They stopped at the Taman Dahlia traffic light when it turned red.
“At that moment, we saw another woman trying to calm the expectant mother, who was in pain and about to give birth by the roadside.”
“We saw two women trying to calm the expectant mother and accompanied her.
One of their husbands also called for help as many bystanders refused to do so,” she said when contacted on Wednesday (Aug 13).
She said she initially hesitated to help as it involved the lives of both mother and baby.
She decided to step in and help.
“There were umbrellas placed around the pregnant woman to shield her from public view.
When I arrived, the young mother had already pushed halfway, so we gave her encouragement and the baby was delivered safely.”
“None of us had expertise in this area, so I immediately called a nurse friend to ask what should be done after the baby was born as I did not dare cut the umbilical cord myself.”
“My friend advised me to tie the cord.
We had no other choice but to do it by the roadside while it was drizzling, using a shoelace from a food delivery rider who was also helping,” she said.
Syarifah said an ambulance was called to take the mother and her newborn to hospital for further treatment.
“I cradled the newborn baby boy and kept reciting prayers because I was worried about the amount of blood loss during the delivery process.”
“It was my first time helping to deliver a baby, let alone by the roadside,” she said.
She added that the young mother, believed to be from Sabah, had been riding a motorcycle with her husband when she felt labour pains.
She said the mother got off the motorcycle and lay down by the traffic light due to the intense pain.
“When I first saw the scene from my car, I thought she was a road accident victim because umbrellas were placed around her.”
“Thankfully, everything went well.
The mother is said to still be receiving treatment at Hospital Sultan Ismail while her baby boy is healthy,” she said.
A 41-second video went viral on TikTok showing four women assisting a mother who gave birth by the roadside.
The video showed the tense moments of the baby’s delivery amid light rain.
