Baby Born Prematurely On Port Authority Bus Comes Home

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- In January, a woman from Penn Hills gave birth to a baby daughter on a PAT bus.

We're happy to report that story has a happy ending.

At just five pounds, the fragile little girl looks a lot like the fairy tale "Thumbelina."

"A lot of people call her 'Patti' because of the Port Authority!" says the baby's mother, Jasmine Freeman, laughing.

Two-month old, Ny'Jai already has a baby book with quite a story to tell.

"It's just life really, just not taking [anything] for granted, you know, because she made it," Freeman said.

It was January 16th when Freeman, on her way home from her job at the airport, boarded the 28X Airport Flyer. Then things got exciting.

"I didn't know what to do," she recalled. "I was just so scared. I think I felt her. I felt her. It had to be here feet because she came feet first."

Chris Bolla was a bus passenger that evening.

"Chris Bolla – he was praying over me," she said. "He was explaining to me how he had a premature baby and everything was going to be okay and I was crying."

Jasmine realized that any thoughts of making it to Magee-Women's Hospital were futile. The bus driver pulled over.

"I just appreciate their help and I just want to thank them so much because I didn't know what I was going to do."

There was a doctor on the bus – retired radiologist Dr. Herberto Poveda.

"I saw the baby coming. I picked up the baby, she was breathing," he said.

After weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Magee and some transitional care at the Children's Home and Lemieux Family Center, Ny'Jai is graduating, says neonatologist Dr. Barbara Cohlon.

"She had a lot of problems associated with prematurity and she managed to overcome most of them and now she's going home, eating just like a regular baby."

While she was in labor, another kind passenger called Jasmine's mother letting her know that her first grandchild was being born on her birthday – a celebration of another precious life.

"She's meant to be here for a reason," Jasmine said. "She is meant to be here for a reason, so only time will tell."

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