Anxious dad-to-be rings radio while waiting in hospital carpark
Louise Walsh
Two breakfast show presenters turned into birthing partners live on air when an anxious dad of five girls rang a radio station while waiting in a hospital carpark for his partner to give birth to their first son.
Stringent Covid-19 restrictions meant that Philip Howard had to wait in the carpark of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, Co. Louth for a text to tell him his partner Caroline McDowell was ready to give birth.
Little Philip Howard arrived into the world at 9.27am on Thursday - the couple's first boy after parenting five girls.
Tragically, Caroline lost a little girl Amelia at 12 weeks pregnant when the couple were involved in a hit and run in Dundalk four years ago so they were a little anxious about the birth of their little boy.
While waiting in the carpark after dropping Caroline into the hospital at 6am, Philip began texting in to the LMFM Radio Breakfast Show and before long, presenters Seamus Farrelly and Chris Murray and listeners were all on tenterhooks waiting for the new arrival.
"I was after dropping off Caroline but I was told to wait in the carpark while she was going through labour and I'd receive a text when she was ready to give birth," said the dad of six.
"I always listen to the two boys on LMFM so I started texting in and they rang me to see how I was getting on. They checked back with me and were really hugely supportive. It took my mind off things.
"I got a text and was talking on radio while I went into the delivery suite. I would've stayed on the phone too but the nurses told me to turn it off," he laughed. It could've been the first radio birth."
The couple are delighted with their little 6lb 7oz baby and said they knew it was going to be a boy after doing a baking soda test.
Philip and Caroline Howard with baby Philip
"If you put a urine sample into a cup of baking powder and it foams up, it's a boy. It didn't before and we had girls but this time, it nearly exploded," he said.
Sadly the couple who provide 24-hour round the clock care to their 12-year old daughter Leah who has Cerebral Palsy also lost a baby due to a road traffic accident.
"We were driving through an estate in Dundalk four years ago and were hit by a car of young lads who sped off. Caroline was 12 weeks pregnant with a little girl we called Amelia but we lost her due to the accident."
However Philip and Caroline were upbeat yesterday and were looking forward to introducing some male blood into their new home in Clogherhead.
Seamus Farrelly..broadcasting from the splendid isoaltion of his shed!
"At home we have Leah (12), Megan (19), Ashley (14) and Ava (4) so we get to finally buy a few blue outfits," he laughed, adding that Philip may well make an appearance on the breakfast show before too long."
Seamus and Chris said they were delighted to be in the middle of good news during the present Covid-19 crisis
"We were thrilled we were able to support him while he was waiting and it's great news in the midst of all the current bad statistics. We'll be waiting patiently to see if the names Chris and Seamus appears somewhere on the birth certificate," laughed Seamus.
"Hopefully little Philip will come into studio for a visit when all these restrictions are lifted."