Dad beats stork, arrives from Iraq 45 minutes before wife delivers baby
It was a close race but thanks to the Army, and maybe cupid, Army Sgt. Donald Lowery reached St. Joseph's Hospital in Breese from Iraq in time to be with his wife Lisa who was about to deliver their first child, a girl, Ashlyn Nicole.
Ashlyn arrived at 12:18 p.m. on Valentine's Day, Wednesday, Feb. 14, less than 45 minutes after Sgt. Lowery arrived at the hospital. The newborn weighed seven pounds, 11 ounces and was 20 inches long.
The Salem couple's story begins in October when Sgt. Lowery left for Iraq, leaving Lisa stateside with a due date of Feb. 22. He is with the 1st Batallion-5th Field Artillery based in Fort Riley, Kan., also known as the "Big Red One" and " Hamilton's Own" as the oldest active unit in the United States Army.
Sgt. Lowery, known as "Donnie" to family and friends, immediately put in for leave and was scheduled to be home at 4:45 p.m. Feb. 14.
Lisa, the daughter of Sandra Anderson and Mike Anderson of Salem asked to have labor induced so the couple could spend more time with the baby and the process was scheduled for Feb. 15.
However, complications intervened and labor was induced Tuesday evening, Feb. 13.
"I kept putting it off as much as possible," Lisa said, who did not want to have the baby without her husband. "I stalled and stalled."
Janice Gebke, a registered nurse in the hospital Women and Infants Center, worked with the mom-to-be in safely slowing down her labor to give dad-to-be time to get to Breese for the birth.
On the other side of the world, Sgt. Lowery, the son of Steve Lowery of Salem and Robin Shepard of Centralia, was taking to the air. He flew from Logistics Support Area (LSA) Anaconda to Ali Al Salem in Kuwait then to the United States, arriving in Atlanta about 8:30 a.m.
In another link in the fortunate chain of events, airports in Atlanta and St. Louis were open although a winter storm had closed many East Coast facilities, he said.
He immediately called Lisa on a borrowed cell phone, finding out she was already in the hospital and due to give birth very soon.
After clearing customs and signing out on leave, Sgt. Lowery caught the earliest flight possible--which happened to be on a very small jet--to Lambert St. Louis-International, arriving just after 10 a.m. He was picked up by his father and the two headed out over snow- and ice-packed roads to St. Joseph's in Breese, arriving about 11:30 a.m., less than 45 before Ashlyn Nicole's arrival.
All in all, he was on three planes and flew 15 hours to reach home.
"I feel pretty lucky to have gotten here," he said.
This is the couple's first child. In addition to the grandparents, helping welcome the new daughter was paternal great-great-grandmother Juanita Harnden and maternal great-grandmother Virginia Anderson of Salem .
The family is now enjoying time together until Sgt. Lowery returns to his unit March 2.
