Mike and Andrea Camarena visited a Torrance fire station on Tuesday to say "thanks."Two weeks ago, a pregnant Andrea began having contractions. Figuring it took 14 hours for their first son, Nathan, to be born two years ago, the Camarenas didn't rush.
When the contractions started about midnight Oct. 30, Andrea called her mother to come over to watch their son. She packed a bag and got into a birth tub in the back yard to ease the pain before they left for the hospital.
Mike said they figured they'd head to the hospital in the morning. But about 2 1/2 hours into it, Andrea's water broke.
"I could feel the baby moving down and I started to push," Andrea said. "My mother then informed my husband to call 911. Within minutes the firemen at Station 6 were in my back yard."
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"I pushed about three times and my daughter was born at 3:10 a.m., in my back yard in a gurney with the whole station there," she said.
Mike said the birth happened so fast, he barely had time to put his jeans on.
"This one just came 'boom boom boom,'" Mike said.
About two hours later, firefighters Kevin Carey and David Hickman checked on the mother and daughter, Bethany, at Little Company of Mary Hospital. They were fine.
"Not only did they check on us, but they brought my daughter a little outfit, her first girl item because I did not know what I was having," she said.
On Tuesday, Mike and Andrea went to the station with their daughter to thank the firefighters personally.
"I know these men were all doing their job but I felt like people should know what great firemen we have in Torrance," she said. "When those two firemen came back, they brought my daughter and I a gift. A gift that will never be forgotten, a gift of life. They went out of their way to go and buy us something as well, which is not part of their job but the kindness of their hearts."
By the way, that was the first baby that Hickman has delivered.
Photo by Torrance fire Capt. Steve Deuel.]]>