VANCOUVER, Wash. — Deputy Melissa Sager will be the first to tell you she has seen a lot in her two years with the Clark County Sheriff's Office. Nothing compares to the call that came across the radio middle of last week.
"A mother is giving birth in a parking lot," said Sager.
Deputy Sager wasted no time getting to the Shell Gas Station at 119th Street and 117th Avenue in Vancouver.
"Dad is outside the car waving his hands," she said.
Deputy Sager threw her patrol car in park and ran up to the expecting couple's SUV. The passenger side door was wide open and mom was delivering the baby. She then handed the baby over to Deputy Sager.
"I swept the baby's mouth for mucus and flipped it over on the forearm of my hand and patted it a couple of times to get it to cough up the mucus. Baby started crying so I rubbed its back. Looked at mom and assessed mom, said 'How are you doing? You did a great job, congrats, you just delivered a baby.'"
Deputy Sager says paramedics arrived and cut the umbilical cord before taking mom and baby Graham to the hospital.
"Baby was breathing on its own, mom was happy, healthy. Dad was like okay, we just had a baby in a parking lot."
As memorable as this will be for the family, it will be equally as memorable for Deputy Sager.
"We see a lot of challenging things, a lot of death, a lot of tragedy. For me this is something I'll never forget. It was beautiful."
It was also timely. It is not lost on Deputy Sager that this happened at a time of great unrest in our country. She hopes baby Graham's birth story leaves a lasting impression.
"I think any deputy or law enforcement officer I know in this area truly wants to help," she said. "We're not out to get you and when we take off our uniforms we're like you and your family. We want to help."