Baby Revisits The Scene Of Her Birth: The Drake Hotel
CHICAGO (CBS) -– One year ago, a frantic husband ran into the lobby of Chicago's Drake hotel for help. His wife was having a baby in the car.
It happened so fast, they didn't even exchange names at first. Friday, CBS 2's Roseanne Tellez reports, baby was back and reunited with the hotel staff that helped welcome her into the world.
The Herszage family was all smiles Friday as they hugged Drake Hotel assistant security director, Dee Altruz, who happened to be the first person to hold their newborn baby girl, Liv, who is 1 now.
Liv's mother, Brooke, tells how the story unfolded one year ago. The then-expectant mom and her husband were rushing to Northwestern Memorial Hospital along Lake Shore Drive, thinking they had time to spare.
They didn't. Dad ran into the lobby of the Drake and alerted an employee in the Cape Cod restaurant that his wife just had a baby in the car.
"Everyone was just shocked, they were speechless. But the girls and security were just great, and they just reacted quickly," Bruno Herszage said.
Altruz dialed 911. Another employee grabbed table linens and headed outside to find the new mom.
"All she said was 'I'm so embarrassed,'" she said. Altruz and another employee told Brooke, "'Don't worry about it. You just had a baby, are you kidding?'"
Friday, for the first time, baby Liv came back to be greeted not with table linens, but with American Girl dolls for her and older sister, Aiva, compliments of the Drake.
The Herszages reflected on the wonderful ending to a story that started with total chaos.
"It all happened so fast but it was also very calm," Brooke said. "It sounds strange – but it was, it was very peaceful. And were so lucky she came out perfect."
The Herszages say if the new baby had been a boy he would have been named – what else? -- Drake.
