In mid-January, an Iowa doctor braved sub-zero temperatures and massive snowdrifts, driving his ATV at 20 mph to deliver Baby Birkley Gardner at Shenandoah Medical Center.
The medical center posted on Facebook, “We had a baby being delivered this morning at 8am in the middle of a snowstorm. How did Dr. Chase Brown get here for this delivery!?!?! An ATV, of course…. Thank you for the dedication to our patients, Dr. Brown! (And a pretty fun story for the proud new parents to share for years!!!)”
It was a day when most residents of the small town of Shenandoah, Iowa, were bundled up inside, but the Gardner family was headed to the hospital.
On the other side of town, Dr. Brown was also on his way. In an interview with ABC, he explains that it was “Snowing everywhere, flying in all directions, but you just keep going through to the next one [snowdrift].” He said that he knew that the only way he would get there on time to deliver the baby was if he took his ATV and drove through the snowdrifts.
When asked if they were worried that Dr. Brown wouldn’t get there in time, mom Krystal Gardner replied, “We knew he was going to get there, they all would get there for it.”
Baby Birkley was delivered safely and is said to be doing well. “She’s a very good baby; we couldn’t ask for more perfection,” Gardner said. However, despite being born during a snowstorm, Birkley reportedly prefers to stay warm. “She hates the cold… she doesn’t like to be out of her blanket, out of her swaddle, nothing,” said her mother.
It wasn’t just Dr. Brown but the whole birthing team who showed up to deliver little Birkley into the world. Dr. Brown spoke for all of them when he said, “Again, no matter what’s coming, we’re there to take care of people.”
The comments on the Facebook post confirm what Brown explained in the interview: this is a doctor who will be there for his patients to provide care.
“He has a dedication to his patients like no other! We are so thankful for Dr. Chase Brown!!” wrote one commenter. Another explained, “Dr. Brown is the best, my family adores him!!”
Dr. Brown stated, “This has been my dream. This is a dream come true for me, to be here in a small town and provide the care we can. And experiences like this is just how I imagined I’d be a doctor one day.”
