Surprise birth on Air Canada flight detailed by shocked B.C. parents
Ada Guan and Wesley Branch had no idea baby was coming until she arrived mid-flight
The B.C. parents of baby Chloe, who was born last weekend on an Air Canada flight to Japan, are recovering from the shock of their surprise parenthood.
Ada Guan, 23, didn't realize she was pregnant when she got on the flight from Calgary to Tokyo with her boyfriend, Wesley Branch. They live in Victoria and were travelling to visit family in Japan.
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Somewhere over Russia, she had intense pain in her abdomen, and had to be moved from her seat, said Branch.
"I got moved to first class because I could feel something wanting to come out. So, that was probably the moment I knew," said Guan, who is from Calgary.
"I thought I was just gaining a little bit of weight, and then this happened."
'Something just fell out of me'
Branch held Guan's hand through "really bad" contractions, as the two realized what was actually causing the pain.
"She said, 'Babe, something just fell out of me, can you check?'" recalled Branch.
"And I checked, and I seen this little baby head, I was shocked, and I passed out, and I got back up, and I said, 'We have a kid. I can't believe we have a kid.'"
Three doctors on board assisted in the delivery, and Branch said they were grateful for that help.
After landing, they went to a hospital and now owe the equivalent of about $2,000 in medical bills, said Branch, who is from Penticton, B.C., and works for a moving company.
The couple has started a crowdfunding site hoping for help with those costs.
Pregnancy test came up negative
The couple had suspected pregnancy a month ago, and used a Clear Blue home pregnancy test, but the results were negative, said Branch.
"It doesn't make any sense, but we're very happy. We're very proud, and this is a miracle, an act of God," he said. "I've never been happier in my life."
The new mother said they are still shocked.
"I'm definitely really emotional, really stressed out right now, but we'll get through this. There's a lot of family support going on," said Guan.
The family is staying with relatives near Narita, Japan, and has been offered help from the Canadian Embassy with a stroller and other baby gear.
They hope to bring baby Chloe home to Canada as soon as possible.