TMC PULSE

t m c » p u l s e | o c t o b e r 2 0 1 7 15 15 couple realized that they might have to deliver their child at home. "I was terrified," Annie said. "I just keep thinking, what if something hap- pened to me or happened to the baby? There would be very little we could do about it at home." In another example of the solidarity that has characterized Texans' response to the storm, the couple's new neighbors were eager to help. Some also worked in health care and brought medical supplies. "It was remarkable. There were at least 15 people who showed up at our doorstep in the rain offering to help," Annie said. "We both felt so full of gratitude for the amazing community." The group decided to move Annie to a second-floor apartment—floodwaters were still rising at this point—and Greg began preparing to deliver his child. "My anesthesia training taught me to stay calm and focused in very intense emergency situations," Greg said. "I received excellent training at UVA, but obviously this wasn't in obstetrics. I delivered five to 10 babies during medical school, but that was under very different, controlled circumstances." He called an obstetrician friend from medical school, fellow Houstonian Dr. Cynthia Fountain, who talked him through the logistics of a home birth and offered to FaceTime the couple during the delivery if necessary. "I tried to maintain my composure and do what I had to do to take care of my wife and baby," Greg said. Fortunately, the Smiths did not have to go through with their improvised plans. The director Annie had contacted had called a member of her family who lived near a fire station. That person walked to the fire station and told firefighters of the family's predicament. Eager to help, the firemen drove a large dump truck through the flooded streets to the Smiths' apartment. Neighbors formed a human chain to help Greg and Annie—who was still in active labor—wade to the truck and climb aboard. The couple rode in the back of the truck to Texas Children's Pavilion for Women. "I was sitting on a fire hose with a shower curtain over my head to protect me from the rain, having powerful con- tractions every four minutes," Annie said. "Thankfully, it was a short ride—about 15 minutes to the hospital." The firemen had notified the hospital of their arrival, and Greg and Annie were immediately whisked to a delivery suite. "There were a lot of patients and families who were stranded at the hos- pital because of flooding, causing some resources like pillows and blankets to be limited," Annie said. "Otherwise, the hos- pital was well-prepared for the storm and provided exceptional care." The Smith's daughter was born at 1:59 a.m. Monday morning—warm, dry and safe after her parents' ordeal. "I thought she was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen and cannot even begin to express how thankful I am for such an amazing gift and blessing," Annie said. Greg, too, was overwhelmed by the moment. "Holding my beautiful little girl for the first time was such a memorable moment," he said. "I remember feeling so thankful that she was there, safe in my arms, after all we had been through." They named her Adrielle Charlotte— Adrielle because it means "belongs to God" and Charlotte after the city they grew to love during their time at UVA. "We absolutely loved our time in Charlottesville, primarily because of the many friends and excellent training we received at UVA," Annie said. As for her first name, the couple said it was something of a talisman to them throughout the whole ordeal. "We had a lot of difficulties getting pregnant with Adrielle," Annie said. "The meaning of her name provided a lot of comfort to both of us through this crazy experience. No matter what happened, we felt God would take care of her." Thankfully, the Smith's apartment was not damaged too badly. Like many in Houston, the new family of three is ready to return to normalcy and help their new city do the same. "Houston has come together as a community in an amazing way, with an enormous amount of support from across America," Annie said. "It is encouraging to everyone to see the outpouring of love during such a difficult time. There is a lot of devastation all across the city and people are still working together to assess the damages and start to clean up and rebuild. It is going to be a long process." — Caroline Newman This article originally appeared in UVA Today, news.virginia.edu Around the time we saw the flooding on our street and parking lot, I went into active labor and started having frequent, painful contractions. — ANNIE SMITH, M.D. Adrielle Charlotte Smith S T O R I E S

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