New dad gets to hospital just in time

By Barbara Brown
Tim Hooperís day started just like most others when he has off work.
Sept. 8 he wanted to play a little PlayStation and was at home while his girlfriend went for a routine pre-natal visit with her father.
Hooper, 19, didnít get to play long because he got a frantic phone call from Brigette Zentid, 18, that he needed to get to Fairview Lakes Regional Medical Center in Wyoming fast ñ she was going to have the baby.
Zentid had been to a doctorís appointment the week before and found she was already dilating. The nurses wanted her to come back for a check-up the next week.
When she arrived at the hospital, Zentid said she was given a stress test for the baby and nurses were concerned because his heart rate was a little low, she said.
Zentid said she and the nurses agreed to induce labor. Zentidís dad left the hospital to get her mother and Zentid called Hooper.
His baby was arriving two weeks early and Hooper said he didnít know what to do. ìI just started throwing things in bags. I didnít even know what to pack.î
Thatís when Hooper realized he didnít have any way to get to the hospital.
Zentidís dad had taken her to the hospital, her mother was at work and Hooperís own family was unavailable to take him.
Thatís where North Branch Cab came in to the story.
Hooper quickly called the cab and Cindy Thiry arrived right away. She got him to the hospital in about 15 minutes.
During the time Zentidís dad and boyfriend were on their way back to the hospital, the nursing staff at Fairview decided a natural birth may stress the child and they preferred a Cesarean section.
ìWhen I got there, they threw the suit at me and told me to change. They were doing it right away,î Hooper said.
After all was said and done, the new baby, Tyler Matthew, was just fine.
ìHe just wanted to be out,î Zentid said. ìMaybe I should be worried about that when he gets older.î
North Branch Cab is owned by Steve Anderson and opened last November.
He said the company has set up a billing system with Fairview Lakes Regional Medical Center that if someone goes to the hospital by ambulance they can still get home.
Anderson said if the person doesnít have any cash or a ride home, they can talk to hospital staff and staff will call North Branch Cab. The charge would be added to the personís hospital bill.
North Branch Cab is at (651) 674-7979.

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