Gwinnett County

Gwinnett air duct cleaner helps deliver baby while on the job

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Nick Tatum runs a floor and air duct cleaning business. He was about to finish a job when the customer went into labor.

All of this happened during a storm, so getting to the hospital was not happening. Tatum realized it was all on him.

“Had you ever wanted to be a doctor? No. Did you want to go into medicine? No, being honest we had a son 10 months ago, and it was even hard for me to watch that,” Tatum told Channel 2′s Tony Thomas.

As Tatum was leaving after cleaning the air ducts in a Gwinnett County townhome, he noticed the woman was in labor.

TRENDING STORIES

“She was making all these motions, honestly I thought she was praying,” Tatum said.

Tatum called 911 and started praying, knowing the paramedics would not make it time.

“I can help you prepare her for a birth, if you can help while they are in route,” the dispatcher said.

“I’m about to faint, like honestly, I was thinking, ‘Me, out of all people,’” Tatum recalled.

The customer lay on the living room floor, Tatum and a co-worker grabbed towels and delivered a baby girl.

Trying to get the baby to breathe was the scariest moment of his life, according to Tatum.

“I gave her to her mama as soon as I gave her to mama she just burst out into tears,” Tatum said. “I never want to be in that situation again.”