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Baby Born on Floor of Butcher Shop with Umbilical Cord Wrapped Around His Neck

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El Parian is a butcher shop in Fresno, California. On Dec. 26, the shop turned into an unexpected birth center.

A regular customer, Erika, can be seen on security camera footage as she walked to tables and chairs in the shop.

It appeared that she was having a contraction as she held onto the chair.

Erika then fell to her knees. She screamed, and the El Parian work team quickly transformed into the laboring woman’s birth team.

Issamar Sepulveda, an owner of the shop, told Inside Edition, “I was so nervous, but I didn’t know what to do. The baby was already coming out, so we ran to see it.”



The cashier called 911 but no dispatcher was available so they were put on hold. Sepulveda is a mother of twins so she had baby blankets in her office.

She ran to get those blankets to keep the baby warm. Her concern was not only for the baby’s temperature, but the baby’s coloring, too.



The baby boy was purple with the umbilical cord around his neck.

The butcher jumped in to hold the baby and used his jacket to provide extra warmth.

Scissors that Sepulveda used to cut the cord were found by the cook. She wrote on the shop’s Facebook page that she was “very proud of El Parian’s team.”



A dispatcher was eventually able to take the call, and an ambulance arrived to take over. Erika and her baby, named Toby, were taken to the hospital.

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A woman named Marlena Calvo who identified as Erika’s sister commented on Sepulveda’s Facebook page.

She thanked the unique birthing team comprised of the shop owner, butcher, cook, and cashier for helping her sister and baby Toby.



El Parian’s Facebook page shared the news of what took place at the shop. “To be honest I don’t know the mother’s circumstances,” the post explained.

It continued, “No one can judge her, yet some of us might question where is the baby’s dad or her family.”

Fortunately, she had an unconventional birth team who surrounded her with support when she needed it most during the birth of baby Toby.

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Carolyn Fultz is a former contributor for Liftable Media. She holds a B.A. in Communication from Hope College.
Carolyn Fultz is a former contributor for Liftable Media. She holds a B.A. in Communication from Hope College. Carolyn's writing has been featured in both online and print media, including Just Between Us magazine. She resides in Phoenix with her husband and children.
Birthplace
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Entertainment, Faith, Health




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