By By Adrienne McKenzie
Atmore Community Hospital emergency room personnel were responsible for bringing the life of Abigail Fiveash safely into the arms of her parents, Wesley and Grace Fiveash of Atmore, on July 14.
Guy Waller of Brewton beamed as he shared the story of his granddaughter's journey into this world in a Thursday morning interview.
"Her momma went to the hospital at 5:30 in the morning and she was born at 5:30 in the morning," Waller said. "She was scheduled to go to Mobile Infirmary, but the baby was too premature."
Waller said the Fiveash's intended on making the trip to Mobile for baby Fiveash to arrive, but Grace Fiveash's water broke and there was immediately a baby.
"She (Grace Fiveash) got up and her water broke," Waller said. "The hospital here was as far as she got. She started having contractions and when they got to the hospital she was born."
This was the first baby born at ACH in quite some time, according to Waller.
"They told us it had been about 18 months," he said. "For a preemie I'm sure it's longer than that."
The experience Wesley, Grace and Abigail Fiveash had at ACH was a pleasant one, Waller said.
"When I got there I knew she was already born," he said. "As soon as Wesley called us we left and she was born by the time we got there. They did a super job up here. The doctor here had to insert a breathing tube to get her to breathe and he did a great job."
Abigail Fiveash weighed only 3 pounds and 10 ounces and she was 18-inches long when she was born eight weeks too early. Her weight dropped down to 3 pounds and 2 ounces, but according to Waller, she's now back up to her birth weight.
Baby Fiveash was taken to USA Women's and Children's Hospital in Mobile and is still having some difficulties with her health.
"She's having problems getting her heart rate stabilized and with breathing," Waller said. "And she does have a little hole in her heart, but they hope to get that closed."
Despite the troubles Abigail Fiveash is currently undergoing, USA nurses tell Wesley and Grace Fiveash that they should be able to take home their baby in a month.
"Grace is a little tired, but she's doing pretty good, she'll be glad to bring that baby home," Waller said. "The nurses hope to have her ready to go home in about four weeks."
Wesley and Grace Fiveash are currently staying at the Ronald McDonald House of Mobile, where they have to pay $12 a day and where everything they need is supplied to them. Waller encourages everyone to give to the Ronald McDonald House because of its great cause.
As for Waller, he will be happy when his daughter and son-in-law are allowed to bring home his granddaughter also.
"I feel great," he said. "This makes my fifth grandchild and it's great."