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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Elliot Ball

Mum unexpectedly gives birth in taxi on way home and driver won't accept a penny

A woman from Plymouth was put in the unique position of giving birth to her son while sitting in a moving taxi.

Ebony-Paige Blank, 23, from Barne Barton gave birth to her beautiful baby, Khai, on February 28.

On the day of Khai's birth, Ebony says she was in the city centre with her mum when she began getting on and off contractions. The pain soon became too much and she told her mum she needed to get a taxi and go home.

But before the pair could leave, Ebony began bleeding. Managing to stay calm she hailed a taxi and soon after her water broke whilst she was sitting in the front of the vehicle, reports Plymouth Live.

Describing the series of events that led to her son's birth, the mum of two said: "I went into town with my mum where I started to experience on and off contractions. It got to the point where I told my mum I had to go home, that's when I started bleeding so I rang a taxi.

Khai was born on the way to the hospital (Erin Black/Plymouth Live)

"I got in the taxi and my water just broke everywhere. We got up to where McDonald's is in Derriford and my son's head popped out.

"Then I had to deliver him all by myself in the taxi. Luckily, I knew what I was doing because I have a two-year-old, so I've been through it before."

Ebony made the taxi driver, Bobby Bailey of Taxi First, aware of the situation before getting in his car. She described Bobby as being "really lovely" and he even went back to visit the 23-year-old in hospital and brought presents both for her and her two children.

She said: "He was really lovely and got me up to the hospital right away and he even got us some presents in the end. He got my newborn son an outfit, got me some flowers and got my two-year-old daughter an Easter Egg and a card."

Derriford Hospital (Plymouth Live/BPM MEDIA)

Bobby also opted not to charge Ebony for her fare or for any clean-up fees. Speaking to PlymouthLive about the incident and how he managed to concentrate on the road, Bobby said: "It was weird because obviously she was sat in the front and I knew what was going on but my concentration was just on the road and making sure we got there [the hospital] safe."

Explaining why he chose not to charge Ebony for a fare or a clean up bill he simply said: "It was the right thing to do."

He added: "If you ask anyone I know I'm just that sort of person. I haven't got kids myself, I have nieces and nephews, but to go through that with someone else you don't know it's weird. It just felt like the right thing to do."

Bobby's worked as a taxi driver in Plymouth for six years and says that this incident is "one thousand per cent" the craziest thing that's ever happened to him. And thanks to Bobby a very healthy three-week-old Khai is now back at home with his mum and dad in Barne Barton.

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