Another day, another baby born in a car – specifically, a GrabCar. Yes, you heard that right. Another baby was born in a GrabCar last month in Singapore, making this the third GrabBaby following the first which was born on 12 August 2017 and the second on 21 November 2017.
Mr Shawn Yeo made a JustGrab booking to Gleneagles Hospital on 7 July 2018 11am, when his wife, Ida Nee, started experiencing contractions on Saturday morning. But before arriving at the hospital, the expectant mother delivered her baby in the GrabCar — with the help and advice from Grab driver Mr Yeong, who then became a midwife on wheels.
“Ida experienced contractions at around 9.30am, and since our first baby’s labour process took almost 4 hours, we thought we had some time to head to the hospital. We even wanted to wait for my father-in-law to come home so that he could take us to the hospital. However, Ida’s contractions intensified and we knew we had to go to the hospital as soon as possible. Barely a few minutes within the car ride, her water bag broke. Armed with just a towel, we had to make do with whatever we had but thankfully, we were able to deliver the baby within the 20 minutes journey,” said Shawn.
When they arrived at the hospital, there was a long line of vehicles at the drop-off point and Shawn immediately hopped off the car first to get help. A team of almost 10 hospital staff came out to assist with Ida and the newborn, and took over the situation.
“I was definitely nervous when I noticed that Mdm Nee was in labour, but there was no way I could turn them down when I knew that they had to be in the hospital immediately. Mdm Nee was screaming throughout the entire journey but I did my best to stay calm. Thankfully, both the mother and baby are safe. It’s not every day that you can say you helped deliver a baby — this is a ride that I will never forget,” said Mr Yeong.
“We are very grateful for Mr Yeong’s support during the tricky situation and for being so understanding even though we made a mess in his car. We compensated him for the cleaning fees incurred and of course, gave him a 5-star rating as well,” Shawn added.
To celebrate baby Isaiah Yeo turning a month old, Grab organised a reunion for the passengers and driver at its office in Midview City on 7 August. Andrew Chan, Head of Transport, Grab Singapore presented Mr Shawn Yeo and Mdm Ida Nee with a Grab voucher worth S$8,000, and a special Grab onesie for baby Isaiah. Mr Yeong was also awarded with fuel vouchers worth S$800.
“We are glad to hear about the safe arrival of baby Isaiah, and cannot be happier to be part of this meaningful journey! Kudos to our driver-partner, Mr Yeong, who was of such great help to the family,” said Andrew Chan, Head of Transport, Grab Singapore.
