An Orange County 911 dispatcher reunited Wednesday with the Pennsylvania family he helped earlier this month during their baby's roadside delivery.
Derrick Crowder, his fianceé, Andrewa Johson, and their baby, Nova Rose, met dispatcher Gerard Lewis at the Orange County Emergency Service building in Goshen.
Lewis was working there when he took Crowder's call for help on the way to the hospital along I-84 in Port Jervis on April 9.
"I wanted to meet him because I feel he's a hero," says Crowder. "He saved my daughter's life and my fianceé's as well."
Crowder's fianceé was delivering their baby in the car when the father called for help and noticed the baby's cord wrapped around her neck.
Orange County 911 released audio from the call for help.
Lewis is heard helping to calm the new father and instruct him on what to do to get the cord loose and make sure the baby is breathing.
Lewis tells News 12 his heart sunk when he heard the cord was wrapped around the baby's neck but used his training to help the frightened father from afar.
"I had to stay calm because he needs me to be calm. So regardless of how I feel or my day is going, I have to be calm for him," says Lewis.
The baby is heard taking her first cries on the 911 audio recording.
Johnson and her baby were taken to the hospital by arriving EMS and are OK, thanks to Lewis.
The fate-crossed couple and dispatcher say they hope to stay in touch and look forward to someday telling little Nova Rose about her unique birth story.
"This guy is a blessing to me because without him my daughter wouldn't even be here."