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Dad delivers baby at Chandler casino parking lot
The Felix family safely delivered a baby girl inside their vehicle at the Gila River resort and casino in Chandler after being sent home from the hospital earlier that day.
CHANDLER, Ariz. - Talk about beating the odds. A Chandler family gave a whole new meaning to a "winning hand" this week when their newborn daughter made a surprise entrance into the world — not in a hospital, but in the parking lot of the Gila River Resorts & Casinos - SanTan Mountain.
The backstory:
The wild ride began when Regena and Frankie Felix were sent home from the hospital because staff felt Regena's labor wasn't progressing fast enough. As a mother of four, Regena disagreed with the decision, and her maternal instincts were proven right just minutes later when her water broke on the drive home.
Frankie pulled into the nearest well-lit area he could find: the casino parking lot. The stakes quickly got terrifyingly high when they realized the umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby's neck, and she was starting to turn blue.
Now at home, the 4-day-old baby is healthy and doing well with her parents.
"How did you know what to do? I didn't," Frankie said. "All my military training in the world prepared me to deliver a baby, and I just did."
Frankie successfully untangled the cord, and little Noa was safely born right there in the front seat of the couple's new SUV.
A happy - and healthy - ending
Today, four-day-old Noa is resting at home. Her pediatrician gave the baby a clean bill of health, calling her a "feisty little thing" and praising the parents for their quick action under pressure. The hospital might have missed the signs, but the Felix family ultimately walked away with the grand prize.
Map of where the baby was born:
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Frankie and Regena Felix.