Couple recalls harrowing delivery of firstborn in Canton

New parents Nahtoreya Coleman and Nathan Ellison of Attleboro are, in most ways, like new parents everywhere. Happy and proud of their newborn son, they are learning to cope with the hour-to-hour needs of a tiny baby who wants his bottles served up quickly and is quite capable of expressing disapproval if there are delays.

That, of course, is normal infant behavior, but young Zayne Coleman has made it clear for a little longer than most that he doesn’t like delays. He started expressing that opinion even before birth — and will likely hear a lot from his parents when he’s older about his birth on the side of Washington Street during rush hour.

Nahtoreya Coleman shares a peaceful moment with her newborn son, Zayne.

Not surprisingly, that was very far from the birth plan that his mother had envisioned. Like many first-time mothers, she was nervous about giving birth and wanted plenty of support. She had been counting on being taken care of at a hospital surrounded by helpers and had planned for an epidural, an injection given to block pain during labor.

What happened instead was entered succinctly in the Canton Police Log for February 25: “8:05 a.m. Assist fire/medical on Washington St. Transported to hospital.” That doesn’t even begin to cover the perfect storm of difficulties surrounding the birth.

First up, distance to the hospital. Given Coleman’s and Ellison’s residence in Attleboro, Boston Medical Center (BMC) may not be the most obvious choice of medical facilities for the birth. But both knew the hospital from having worked there; their physician has admitting privileges there; and a prenatal ultrasound was done there.

The second factor was a failure of communication. Labor had started not long after midnight, early on February 25 during Coleman’s 38th week of pregnancy. She said she noticed the pains were different from anything she had previously experienced during the pregnancy, and she downloaded an app to help track them. When the pains got closer together at around 4 a.m., Coleman was unable to speak, so Ellison called the hospital midwife. The woman he reached said she would call back in 20 minutes after first asking many questions, none of which addressed time between contractions or their duration, which are the typical details guiding decisions about when to head to a hospital. After an hour with no call back and increasing contractions, the couple tried again, only to receive an apology and yet another promise of a call back in 20 minutes, again with no result.

The average total labor time for a first pregnancy is 12 to 24 hours. In hindsight, it’s clear that Coleman’s labor was progressing much more rapidly, but she knew only that she was feeling a lot of pain. By 6:30 a.m., her contractions were about 4-5 minutes apart and her discomfort was such that she was on the floor. Ellison said he realized they should not wait any longer for call backs and told Coleman, “Hey, I’m calling it, we need to get our stuff together and leave.”

The morning work rush had started, adding to their difficulties by significantly increasing the travel time. A call back finally came from BMC at about 7 a.m., but it didn’t do much to comfort the couple, who felt alone and unsupported. Coleman recalled that she was scared and in pain and in exactly a situation that she did not want to have happen.

During the drive, her water broke, and she was unable to sit still. Kneeling, she felt she was having an “out of body experience,” gripping the back of the front passenger car seat as the need to push started to grow. While driving, Ellison called 911 and was instructed to pull off the highway at the nearest exit, which brought them to Washington Street/Route 138. He pulled to the side of the road and stopped, got out of the car and opened the passenger side door in time to see the baby emerge about 8 a.m.

Initially, all was quiet — too quiet. Coleman, who had been crying hysterically, realized that her baby needed to breathe, and she was able to clear his mouth and nose even though the umbilical cord was still attached. Her quick action was rewarded with a cry from her newborn.

Moments later, Canton police officer Michael Chin and paramedics in an ambulance approached the car from opposite directions. Ellison flagged them down, and the four paramedics got to work tending to the baby. Chin worked to reassure Ellison and Coleman that everything would be okay. He noted, “Mom was able to do an amazing job and Dad was very emotional and proud.”

Ellison, Coleman and their son were transported to Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton, where they were greeted, Ellison said, by a “crowd of people,” clearly awaiting their arrival.

Meanwhile, Ellison’s Camaro was taken to the Sassamon Street fire station for special attention from Fire Department personnel. Coleman said she was “bleeding all over” during the birth, so when Ellison was offered the option of getting the car cleaned, he accepted gratefully.

The hospital stay was uneventful. Zayne weighed in at 6 pounds, 7.9 ounces and was 18.5 inches long and in good health. Only his birth certificate shows a permanent side effect of his eventful arrival in the notation after birthplace: 2324 Washington Street, Canton, MA.

In the aftermath, Coleman and Ellison found that they were the center of attention. Coleman said that her mother, a resident of Cumberland, RI, whom she kept in touch with throughout the experience, is very proud of her. The couple has received apologies from BMC and assurance that patient advocacy is investigating to find out exactly why they didn’t receive timely call backs.

Coleman said that if anything, the whole experience “created a bond” between her and Zayne and her and Ellison. Ellison attributed part of their ability to cope in the stressful situation to their military service experience. For Chin, “It was the most heartwarming and special call I’ve been on. I’ll always remember it. I consider myself lucky to share that moment with them.”

Reflecting on roadside births in Canton, Deputy Police Chief Patty Sherrill said, “In my 31-plus years on the job, I can recall three.”

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Posted by Candace Paris on Mar 20 2025. Filed under Features. Both comments and pings are currently closed.