Chief summoned to deliver baby

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This article was published 12/01/2021 (2102 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Chief David Monias says he’s always on call but admits obstetrics isn’t exactly his specialty.

Still, the leader of the Pimicikamak Cree Nation was out the door in a flash Monday morning — minus one sock and wearing a couple of untied shoes — racing to a neighbour’s house to help in the premature delivery of a baby girl.

“As chief, we get calls for help all the time on everything, governing issues to housing issues to health issues, death, things like that. Right now, we’re doing a lot of work on COVID-19 vaccinations, rapid tests,” said Monias. “This was sure different.

“I hear someone on the phone calling, ‘Help, help.’ All I heard was ‘baby’ and ‘washroom’. I called the ambulance and the nursing station, and went over there. There was so much commotion. There was a lady on the floor having a baby, and the grandmother was delivering the baby.

“It was a wonderful surprise, scary and exciting at the same time.”

His cousin’s daughter, Tori, delivered a girl, Addy Lee-Ann McKay, into the waiting arms of Tori’s mom, Sandra McKay, with the help of local emergency medical technicians Randy Crait and Daphne Halcrow.

“Grandma did most of the work. The ambulance staff cleaned up baby and wrapped her in a blanket,” said Monias.   

Mom and baby, delivered at just 30 weeks and weighing four pounds, five ounces, were immediately flown to Thompson for additional care. Both are doing fine, the chief said.

Monias said he has witnessed sadness and fear in his community for months as they grapple with the pandemic. Two band members have died, and there were 31 active cases in Pimicikamak (Cross Lake) on Monday. 

Nearly 200 doses of the vaccine were sent to the community of about 7,000 residents, located 770 kilometres north of Winnipeg, and are being administered to personal care home residents, elders over 70 and elder care home staff.

But he’s heartened by the birth of the community’s newest resident.

“There’s quite a lot of despair but maybe it gives us some hope and faith in life. Maybe it’s a sign of things to look forward to,” said Monias, who has three grown children and a four-month-old grandson. He also lost a son and a granddaughter. 

Helga Hamilton, the community’s director of health, said Monias is the epitome of a jack of all trades.

“He’s got so much to think about right now with the pandemic, on top of a housing shortage, isolation and where do we put these people,” she said. “Now he’s helping deliver babies. I texted him this morning, ‘Good job, Dr. David Monias.'”

Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak issued a statement to acknowledge the fast-acting chief’s commitment to his community.

“Being a leader of a First Nation is no easy task. As a former chief, I know that it’s a role where you are expected to be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The pandemic has amplified the demand that is put upon our chiefs and I commend all of them for the hard work they have done in responding to the challenges brought upon our communities due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said MKO Grand Chief Garrison Settee.

“This morning, Chief Monias received a phone call to attend an emergency. (He) assisted by making calls for help to ambulances and the nursing station. His hands-on assistance was not needed at the birth as a grandmother was on hand to catch the baby as it made its entrance into the world.”

jason.bell@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPJasonBell