A Dundee mum had a taxi journey to remember after giving birth in the back of the cab.
Blessing Ogbonnaya welcomed son Joshua five minutes into her journey from her Lyon Street home to Ninewells Hospital, with husband John taking on midwife duties and taxi driver Shafi Uddin at the wheel.
Despite the drama, Joshua arrived without a hitch.
‘The taxi driver was emotional’
John, 39, admits he was nervous as the events of Sunday morning unfolded but knew he had to stay focused to deliver his boy safely.
He said: “My wife’s contractions were accelerating in the morning so we called the clinic just after 6am.
“Her water broke but they clinic told us to wait a little longer. But I knew we had to move quickly.
“We decided to phone a taxi, as soon as she got in the cab, I think the movement of the car moved things along.
“On the way to hospital our baby’s head was already out. I was concerned and told my wife to position herself.
“I was assisting Blessing and she was amazing. The taxi driver wanted to stop but I felt it was best to keep going.
“The taxi driver was emotional and happy for us once Joshua was safely out.”
Upon arrival at Ninewells Hospital, midwife staff ran out to assist the family and take them to the ward.
Blessing, 24, praised staff before they were discharged from hospital, back home to Joshua’s big brother, one-year-old John.
The mum-of-two said: “The nurses checked Joshua and I over. Because he was born in the taxi they wanted to make sure he was warm enough.
“We were so stunned by how quickly everything happened – I think we still are!
“Thankfully he was fit and healthy and we were home by 7pm.
“We’ve only just moved into our new home so it has been a very busy few days.”
‘It was only my second fare’
Shafi, who has been a taxi driver for five years, says he has never experienced anything like it.
The 45-year-old said: “I’ve been telling my customers about what’s happened, they couldn’t believe it.
“We were heading to Ninewells Hospital and literally within five minutes of the journey I heard the baby crying in the back.
“I was emotional but so happy for the family. It was only me second fare of the day.
“I’ve been telling my customers in recent days they’ve been saying: ‘Oh my god’.”
“I’ll not forget that shift in a hurry, that’s for sure.”
