Alyse Sparkman once thought the dramatic tales of babies being born in unexpected places were reserved for the pages of fiction or someone else. But life had a twist in store for her and her husband, Sean Sparkman, when they found themselves in their own unforgettable birth story – one that unfolded in a seafood restaurant.
Courtesy Sean and Alyse Sparkman VIA Today.com
“It was like something out of a movie,” Sean told Today.com, recounting the whirlwind experience to TODAY.com.
The events unfolded on April 27, when Alyse, 37 weeks pregnant, began feeling the unmistakable signs of labor. Convinced it was time to head to the hospital, the couple rushed there, only to be told that Alyse wasn’t quite ready. Deciding to grab a quick meal at Lily’s Seafood Grill and Brewery in Royal Oak, Michigan, seemed like a good idea on the balmy 75-degree day.
Little did they know that their unborn daughter had other plans. As Alyse savored her first bite of trout Caesar salad, her water broke. In a heartbeat, Sean dashed to retrieve their car, but it seemed their daughter couldn’t wait.
Within minutes of her water breaking, Alyse found herself cradling her newborn daughter.
“I was stopped at a traffic light when she called and said, ‘I had the baby,’” Sean recalls. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks.
Adding, “I couldn’t believe I missed it. I felt terrible, She goes, ‘Don’t feel bad — just get here!’”
Fortunately, fate had placed them next to two retired nurses, who leaped into action, aiding in the delivery and ensuring the baby’s safety as her umbilical cord was gently unwound from her neck.
“She came out purple,” Alyse remembers.
As Penelope let out her first cry, the restaurant erupted into applause and cheers, a celebration of life amidst the clinking of cutlery and chatter of diners.
With gratitude in their hearts, the Sparkmans acknowledge the unexpected blessings of that day. And in a nod to the place where their daughter entered the world, they chose to honor her with the middle name Lily, a decision that felt serendipitous.
Penelope Lily, weighing a petite 4 pounds and 8 ounces, joined her brothers Logan, 5, and Quill, 3, in the Sparkman family fold. As a lasting tribute to her extraordinary birth, Lily’s Seafood Grill and Brewery plans to install a plaque at the very table where Penelope made her grand entrance – a fitting reminder of the miraculous moments that can unfold in the most unexpected of places.
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