Oxford’s newest resident Ashlyn Rose Danielle Helm came into this already fast-paced world racing through the interchange between south I-75 and east M-59.
The daughter of Rusty and Lenise Helm was born Monday morning in the back of an American Medical Response ambulance making its way to Troy Beaumont Hospital.
“I was just going with the flow,” Lenise said. “It was just a matter of letting it happen.”
“I was emotionally drained,” Rusty said.
The saga began at 6 a.m. Monday when Lenise’s water broke and her contractions were timed at between three and five minutes apart. A half-hour later they were two minutes apart.
The couple left their Oxford Woods home at about 7 a.m. and headed east on Drahner toward M-24.
However, a traffic backup caused by a fog-related accident on M-24 forced the couple to turn around and head west on Drahner to the Lakes of Indianwood subdivision, which they cut through to get to Indianwood Rd.
The Helms took Indianwood to Joslyn, but discovered it too was “grid-locked” due to the foggy conditions, Rusty said.
While traveling south on Joslyn, Lenise “got the urge to push,” so Rusty called 9-1-1, which contacted the Orion Township Fire Department and AMR.
The Helms managed to make it from the Clarkston/Joslyn intersection to the Oakland County’s Sheriff’s Orion substation on Joslyn near Greenshield.
Fire and ambulance personnel showed up about five minutes after the couple arrived. By that time, the contractions were one minute apart, Rusty said.
It was now a race between the baby and the ambulance and the baby was going to win.
All 8 pounds, 3 ounces and 20.5 inches of baby Ashlyn was delivered at 8:49 a.m. by Orion Fire Paramedic Dan Flanders, while the ambulance was in the process of exiting south I-75 and getting on east M-59.
“It feels rewarding,” Flanders said of delivering his first baby.
Flanders said he “felt pretty prepared” due to his training as both a paramedic and nursing student.
The 24-year-old is an Oakland University Nursing School student currently receiving part of his education at Troy Beaumont.
“Dan was very levelheaded,” Lenise said. “He was calm and collected all the way there.”
Lenise also had words of praise for the AMR paramedic Don Dilworth, who assisted with the delivery.
Flanders gave much of the credit for the relatively smooth delivery to Rusty.
“Dad was awesome,” he said. “He provided a lot of support for mom. Without him, my job would have been a lot harder.”
Flanders wanted it noted that fellow Orion firefighters Kurt Fletcher, Bob Smith, Chris Elliott and Chris Orphin were also in the ambulance providing assistance. He also gave credit to AMR paramedic Dave Carr, who drove the ambulance.
As a gesture of gratitude toward Flanders, the Helms chose “Danielle” as a second middle name for their new baby.
“We thought it would be beautiful to name her after him,” Lenise said.
Lenise’s mother, Jean Mathews of Clarkston, noted how ironic it was that her daughter “agonized” over choosing an obstetrician when in the end, a doctor wasn’t even present for the delivery.
In another ironic twist, the Helms checked into Troy Beaumont at about 10 p.m. Sunday because Lenise had gone into labor, but when nothing happened, she was discharged at 2:30 a.m. Monday.
Besides her parents and grandmother Jean, Ashlyn is receiving love and support from her brother, Austin, 3, and grandparents Mel and Peg Helm, of Orion Township.