SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – A couple from New Orleans who evacuated to Shreveport ahead of Hurricane Ida is returning home as a family of three.
Kathryn and Morgan Wampold evacuated their home in New Orleans and headed to her parents’ house in Shreveport right before Hurricane Ida hit. She was nearly eight months pregnant and they planned to return home on Thursday with plenty of time to settle back in and get ready for the baby’s arrival.
But the baby had other plans. Kathryn went into labor five weeks early Wednesday night and gave birth to their son William while still in Shreveport.
“We’re just very thankful everything went very smoothly and our little baby boy came in the middle of the night, and despite being very early, he’s healthy. Five pounds ten ounces,” the new mom said.
After spending a few days in St. Mary Medical Center’s neo-natal intensive care unit, Williams was able to go with his parents.
Since Kathryn’s doctor was based out of Ochsner Baptist in New Orleans, her medical record was immediately accessible for the entire delivery team and the pediatrician at Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport.
“Having one, state-of-the-art electronic medical record system across Ochsner, it was a seamless process for her physicians, which saved a significant amount of time for the physicians and the family and ensured a full and accurate medical history,” the hospital said in a statement. “Morgan is an Ochsner Health employee in New Orleans and experienced firsthand support of his Ochsner family across the state.”
“It’s incredible it all ended up working out. We could have been anywhere when this happened. We just happened to be in a place of an Ochsner location,” Morgan said.
Even better news: the couple says they have confirmed that their home in New Orleans did not suffer any serious damage from the hurricane.
