Mum Stacey White with bay Lexie, son Bradleigh and friend Sally Cooper

by Gerry Warren

gwarren@thekmgroup.co.uk

Baby Lexie White sleeps soundly, unaware of the drama that accompanied her arrival in the world.

Because there was no midwife on hand to help with the birth on a garage forecourt in the early hours of the morning.

Instead mum Stacey relied on the help of her best friend Sally Cooper, who had been driving them to hospital.

The pair was rushing to the William Harvey in Ashford after Stacey, 29, began to have frequent contractions at home in Whitehall Close, Canterbury.

She said: “Sally is a friend of many years and a teaching assistant at Pilgrim’s Way School where my son Bradleigh, six, is a pupil.

“She kindly offered to be my birthing partner but little did I know she would be so much needed.

“When the contractions started coming strong and fast, I called her and she said we had better get to hospital as quick as possible.

“She picked me up in her car at about 5am and we got as far as Chilham when I said she would have to stop because the baby was coming. It all happened so fast that we didn’t have time to panic.”

Sally, a mother-of-two from Spring Lane, said: “I was driving as fast as I safely could to try and get to the hospital in time.

“But all of a sudden, Stacey, threw off her seat belt and sank into the footwell saying 'something’s happening’.

“I pulled onto the Crossroads garage forecourt and rang for an ambulance but within a couple of minutes the baby had popped out. It was quite an emotional moment.”

When paramedics arrived they checked over mum and baby, who weighed 7lb 10oz and was 14 days overdue, before taking them to hospital.

But the pair had to stay in for five days because Lexie had an infection which needed treating before being allowed home last week.

Speaking back at her home, Stacey added: “Sally was brilliant. I don’t know what I would have done without her. One day she will probably be helping Lexie too when she starts school.”