Dave Edwards reveals dash to see baby born
Former Shrewsbury midfielder Dave Edwards today revealed how he saw his daughter being born – with three minutes to spare.
The Wolves ace was involved in a frantic dash from the team’s hotel outside Preston on Saturday morning before the 1-0 win at Blackburn, via a train from Preston to Crewe then on to Shrewsbury, where he arrived in the nick of time to see 9lbs baby Evie Mai being born to partner Emma at Shrewsbury Royal Hospital.
“I had a call from Emma at 8am saying she was feeling discomfort but she didn’t think she was going into labour,” said former Mary Webb School pupil Edwards, who also has a 27-month-old son Jack with Emma.
“She then phoned back at 9am when I was at breakfast and said the pain had got worse and she was going into hospital.
“I made the decision that I needed to get back and spoke to the manager, who was fine. I was told the M6 would be manic so didn’t want to take a taxi back.
“The train from Blackburn was going to Preston and then a change at Crewe to get to Shrewsbury.
“The club doctor offered to take me to the station but we’d have missed it in Blackburn but might still have a chance to get to Preston in time.
“The doc rushed me down the M65 and then through Preston and got me to the station five minutes before the train left – without that it would have been another hour.
“At Crewe I phoned my mum and she said she didn’t think I was going to make it because Emma was in the late stages of labour.
“I got into the delivery room as one of her contractions had finished.
“I’d been there for maybe 90 seconds and the midwife said she could see the baby’s head and the next contraction would be the one.
“The midwife said I arrived at 11.49am and the baby came at 11.52am.
“It was something like a movie, and I owe a lot of thanks to people, especially the doc, for helping me get that train.”