Welcome to The Bellevue Hospital, Bellevue, Ohio!

Skype broadcast allows soldier to be part of his baby’s birth

Yvetta Palomo holds newborn
Gabriella Marie Palomo, while
Yvette’s sister, Heather Butler,
holds a computer with a Skype
internet hookup, allowing
Michael Palomo to join in on the
birth from Iraq.

With family members looking on
through the glass of the Family
Birthing Center nursery, Heather
Butler holds a computer so that
her brother-in-law, Michael Palomo,
can gaze upon his newborn daughter,
Gabriella Marie. Michael was on a
Skype internet hookup from Iraq.

Yvette Palomo holds newborn Gabriella
Marie as Michael Palomo looks on –
via a Skype computer hookup –
from Iraq.

The miracle of electronic technology and the miracle of childbirth at The Bellevue Hospital (TBH) on Jan. 3 combined to honor one of our heroes serving in Iraq, over 6,200 miles away, allowing him to be a special part of the birth of his second child.

           First Lt. Michael Palomo, 45, of Fremont, OH, who is stationed with the 256th Combat Support Hospital Army Reserve Unit in Iraq, was facing the prospect of missing the birth of his second child on Monday. But with the aid of technology, an understanding physician – Corey Fazio, D.O. - and a caring staff at TBH, Michael was able to be right there in the delivery room via a Skype connection on the computer.

           Skype is a software application that allows users to make voice and video calls over the internet. Calls to other Skype users are free.

           Michael’s wife, Yvette, 39, gave birth to a healthy baby girl – Gabriella Marie - at 8:08 a.m. Monday (4:08 p.m. in Iraq). The baby was 19 ½ inches in length and weighed 6 pounds, 13 ounces. She had a chance to meet her father for the first time through the computer hook-up.

           Maternal grandparents are Jan and Dick Houk of Tiffin, while maternal great-grandmother of the baby is Betty Houk, also of Tiffin.

           “We were pleased to be able to reunite a husband, wife and child that many miles away,” said TBH President and CEO Michael K. Winthrop. “When this situation was brought to the attention of our staff, they found a way to make this happen despite the fact that husband and wife were continents away from each other.”

           Continued Winthrop, “It was a small way we could honor our military heroes for all they do, and the fact that he and his wife are both nurses. Our healthcare heroes – saving lives is a part of their everyday jobs. This was just the right thing to do.”

           Both mom and dad are in the medical field. Yvette is an emergency room nurse at Memorial Hospital in Fremont, while Michael is a full-time RN at Magruder Hospital in Port Clinton. Dr. Fazio delivered their new bundle of joy at TBH’s Family Birthing Center. The Palomos also have an 18-month-old daughter, Isabella Marie. During Isabella’s delivery, complication forced doctors in Toledo put Yvette under anesthesia and she did not get to see her newborn for about 10 hours. This time around, Yvette wanted mom, dad and new baby to be able to see each other right away.

           “An absolutely great experience” is how Michael described his feeling through the Skype broadcast. “To be able to see everything was just amazing. I was so anxious to see whether we were going to have a boy or girl and to make sure the baby was healthy,” recounted Michael as he got set to report for a 12-hour shift in the base hospital. “To be able to sit here in my room, with this technology, and to be able to see Gabriella and hear her cry – it was just so special.”

           Michael noted that there are three other soldiers in his unit awaiting the birth of a child. “This will give us all definitely something to talk about,” beamed the proud father from over 6,000 miles away. “Tell everyone there at TBH thanks for me – thanks for making this happen and for letting me be a part of the experience.”

           “Michael has been with the Army Reserves in Twinsburg for two years, but this is his first deployment,” noted Yvette. “He left for a 400-day tour of duty on Nov. 6, reporting to Washington for pre-deployment. His unit then deployed to Iraq on Dec. 6. He knew about the deployment back in August so he was well aware that he would miss the birth. This was a way to make him as much a part of the process as possible.”

           Continued Yvette, “During the summer, we started talking about ways that Isabella could remember her daddy while he was away. So Michael came up with the Skype idea. He went out and bought me a laptop and we tried it out and it worked. We then started thinking, maybe this could work when it came time to give birth. He was not sure how the whole internet thing was going to work once he got to Iraq, but it turned out to be okay on his end. We then tried to Skype each other on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and it worked just fine. We also set up a Skype hookup during my ultrasounds and the baby would just kick like crazy everytime she heard daddy’s voice!”

           From there, Yvette asked Dr. Fazio about the prospect of setting up a Skype connection in the delivery room. “He told me, ‘Maybe we can do that,’ “ noted Yvette, who said that Dr. Fazio and Michael have known each for many years. “Then, the staff at TBH took over and they were wonderful in putting this whole project together.”

           Finalized Yvette, “I know Michael really wanted to be here for the delivery, but he was also very excited about getting a chance to serve his country overseas. He has 18 years experience as a paramedic and he does not feel that young kids – who might not have as much experience – could be over there helping other soldiers like he can. He has always wanted to serve his country and I am very proud of him. That is something I could never do. Thank goodness for soldiers like Michael who do that for us.”

           Thank goodness for everyday miracles to honor our military heroes.