Earth shakes as baby is born
2010-09-07 22:44
Johannesburg - A young South African couple living in Christchurch, New Zealand, had a particularly harrowing experience with the birth of their first child: The infant made her appearance just as the powerful earthquake hit Christchurch on Saturday morning at about 04:35.
The first aftershock came soon afterwards.
Baby Dianthe-Rose Barnard was born at 04:41, more than a week overdue.
The most dramatic moments were the ten minutes before and when she was born.
Her father, Evert Barnard, 24, told how he and the nursing staff had to grab onto the mother's bed during some terrifying moments.
"I had to hold the bed. Everything was jumping around; the lights kept going on and off and all the water splashed out of the birthing pool, wetting the ceiling."
Medical instruments also fell to the floor.
"I just started crying."
Shock hitting her
The baby's mother, 20-year-old Maruschkè, said she can't remember anything about the harrowing experience, but the shock is finally hitting her now, as aftershocks hit the city from time to time.
Dianthe-Rose's grandmother and great-grandmother, Hannelie Viljoen and Dot Smit, were also present at the birth.
Dianthe-Rose's grandfather, Joseph Viljoen, was having a nap in the waiting room, but when the earthquake struck he fell from the couch and rolled across the floor.
No one was seriously injured.
Barnard said they had originally planned to go to the Burwood Hospital, but his wife was eventually admitted to Christchurch Women's Hospital, since Dianthe-Rose was more than a week overdue.
The Burwood Hospital had a particularly rough time during the earthquake. Barnard said he's just happy that everything went well in the end.
The Barnards have been living in New Zealand for the past four years.
They used to live in Sasolburg.