WASHINGTON — Days before Christmas, a medical officer from the Air National Guard transformed a typical evening into a life-saving endeavor when she delivered a baby in the front seat of a car.

Captain April McClung, a dedicated nurse with the 130th Airlift Wing of the West Virginia Air National Guard, was stationed at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on December 23, 2025. It was there that she encountered a distressed man who hurriedly approached the registration desk.

He urgently explained that his wife was in labor in their vehicle parked right outside the hospital entrance. As the situation escalated, he rushed back in to announce that the baby was on its way, according to Joint Task Force-D.C.

Without hesitation, McClung, who was on assignment in Washington D.C., sprang into action, ready to assist in this unexpected and critical moment.

“I’ve been a nurse for 28 years, specifically as an obstetrics nurse, and I’ve also worked in emergency care,” McClung said. “I knew that if the mother had just a little help, she would deliver her baby safely, and that keeping the baby warm would be critical.”

When she got outside, McClung saw the woman kneeling in the car’s passenger seat with the baby crowning and her toddler crying in a car seat. 

She coached the mother through breathing and pushing while a doctor from the hospital came out to help the father complete the birth. 

The team found the umbilical cord was wrapped around the baby’s neck and McClung said she helped the physician safely reduce it. 

She credited her time in and training for the military as why she was able to remain calm during the situation. 

The baby was wrapped up in warm blankets and taken into the hospital for further care, while the new mother was taken into the emergency room for a check-up. 

McClung said the moment was deeply meaningful.

“I knew this was a special and sacred moment for the mother and father, and I was honored to help,” McClung said. “Being so close to Christmas made it even more special.”