Express Delivery
Updated : May 12, 2009
It was just a case of family tradition for a baby born in the back of a car as his mum was being rushed to hospital.
Little Luke Axinte shocked his parents, Seline and Leviu, with his early arrival as dad sped to the maternity unit the Evening Herlad revealed.
But it was less of a surprise for Seline, for she, too, was born en route -- in the back of an ambulance on the way to hospital 28 years ago.
"There was a big panic," said Seline, who is now resting and bonding with her healthy baby of 7lbs 15oz. "I just couldn't hold on.
"You just have to do what you have to do to get the baby out. It was panic, pure panic and there was a lot of screaming and shouting." But then she revealed her amazing family trait:
"When Mum delivered me in Dublin, it was in the back of a fire brigade ambulance on the side of the road."
Seline delivered Luke herself in the back seat of the car. Dad didn't even stop --just put his foot down.
Seline and Leviu left their house in Wexford at 8am and did not forsee the drama that was ahead, where Seline was forced to deliver the baby with them still 25 minutes away from the hospital.
As baby Luke started to emerge, his father Leviu was too afraid to pull over on to the side of the road and the Dublin Bus driver had no choice but to race ahead at full speed to the hospital.
"I was overwhelmed when I saw the baby, I didn't expect to see him so soon. I was frightened when the baby popped out and I thought the cord might be wrapped around the baby's neck, but I felt down around his head and I realised that it wasn't.â€
Meanwhile, Liviu says he is still recovering from the shock of Luke's delivery last Thursday.
"She was up and down all the way to Enniscorthy but then after that she just said 'I have to go,' and I had to flash the lights and beep the horn all the way."
"I said to myself if the guards catch me at least I know they can escort me to the hospital quicker."
