Iria Wolnick was on her way to her mother’s funeral when she came upon car accident on rural Highway 77 in Kennedy County, Texas.
When Wolnick approached the scene, she discovered that a young mother and her two-year-old son had been ejected from their vehicle.
“She kept asking – ‘Ma’am how’s my baby? How’s my baby?” Wolnick told KTVU. “I thought she was asking about the toddler, but then I looked down and saw her stomach.”
A gash in the woman’s stomach revealed an unborn child’s head and arm. Wolnick said that she immediately knew the baby would die if she didn’t take action.
“Four kids later, you sort of have an idea what needs to happen,” she said. “Making sure the umbilical cord is tied, preventing blood from coming out…keeping the baby warm…All those sort of things.”
Amazingly, Wolnick delivered and resuscitated the baby prior to EMS arriving.
“The adrenaline just kicks in and you just spring into action or panic,” she said. “I sprung into action.”
Tragically, the healthy 6-pound, 11-ounce baby girl lost her mother a short time later in the hospital.
“I’ve gotten a couple texts from the father,” Wolnick said. “But I’ve wanted to give him time to mourn.”
Wolnick was honored Wednesday by the Texas Department of Public Safety for her heroic action.
-via KTVU
