CHICAGO — A woman who gave birth in front of a fire station this week is thanking the firefighters who sprang into action to help deliver her baby boy.

Vanessa Villa gave birth to baby Julian Lopez around 9 a.m. Tuesday in the back seat of a car in front of the River West firehouse.

Around two hours before giving birth, her water broke and she started having contractions. Her husband was at work at the time and couldn’t reach him. She called her mother and dropped off her son at her house.

While she was there, the contractions got stronger and a friend decided to driver her to the hospital. While they were on the way, Villa said she felt like she wasn’t going to make it, so her friend called 911.

While they were on the phone, they saw the River West fire station and pulled over.

Capt. Barbara Ohse was one of the first firefighters to run out and help and ended up delivering her baby.

take sot: vanessa villa/gave birth at fire station
“At that point I just wanted the pain to go away,” Villa said. “They were helping me, put on their gloves did what they had to do and they delivered the baby.”

She said she never thought that situation would happen to her, but now, she says she has a story to one day tell her little one.

Baby Julian was born two weeks early, weighing six pounds, nine ounces. He is now at home with his parents and big brother.