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Lisa Bond: Baby on Board
Lisa
Bond of Christmas Valley wasn’t planning on having her baby for at
least six more weeks. She definitely didn’t plan to give birth on
an airplane. But on Sept. 12, 2002, Lisa Bond delivered baby Brittany Bond
as the Air Life fixed-wing descended into Bend, making Lisa the first patient
to give birth aboard an Air Life aircraft.
When labor pains started early for Lisa, she rushed to the North Lake Clinic in Christmas Valley. Knowing they weren’t equipped to handle baby delivery—much less a premature one—the clinic summoned Air Life to transport Lisa to Bend. When the crew arrived, they knew it was likely Lisa could deliver during the 16-minute flight.
As the miles flew by, flight nurse Kathy Dyck worked to slow Lisa’s labor and to deal with the fact that the baby was turned the wrong way. As the fixed-wing began its final approach at the Bend airport, baby Brittany made her appearance.
Fortunately, Brittany was strong and healthy, and after a brief hospital stay, both mom and baby went home. “She’s my little miracle baby—,” Lisa says, “my little Air Life baby.”
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