Though he had no medical training or experience, Joe Guest remained surprisingly composed during what could have been a chaotic emergency. A resident of West Yorkshire, Joe had to act quickly when his partner, Charlotte Symonds, suddenly went into labor—and their planned midwives weren’t able to arrive in time. According to Metro.co.uk, Charlotte had already begun to feel movement but was determined to give birth at home under professional supervision. However, everything shifted when her labor progressed rapidly, and it became clear that she would deliver the baby within just 30 minutes of contractions starting.
With no one else around to help, Joe—a business analyst by profession, with zero experience in childbirth—found himself in a situation far from his usual day-to-day life. Realizing the urgency, he immediately called emergency services and began following the dispatcher’s step-by-step instructions. When he noticed the baby’s head crowning, Joe briefly broke down in tears, overwhelmed by the moment. Still, he quickly gathered himself, knowing he was the only one who could help Charlotte safely deliver their baby.
Their daughter, whom they named Ophelia, was born safely on the very first attempt.
“It was surreal,” Joe recalled. “There were just the two of us—and then, suddenly, a third person was in the room. It was magical.” Emergency services arrived shortly after the birth, and both mother and child were found to be perfectly healthy. Even though Ophelia was born outside a hospital, she was a strong, thriving baby. Charlotte couldn’t be more thankful to Joe. “He’s a real hero,” she said.
“You did an amazing job,” she added. “He kept calm even when I told him it was time. I never heard panic in his voice.”
Even the emergency operator was impressed with Joe’s composure. She admitted she was worried that things might go wrong, but Joe handled the situation better than anyone could’ve expected. “This kind of scenario doesn’t happen often,” she said, recalling that he didn’t even have time to get Charlotte to the hospital—he had to deliver his daughter right there, in the park.