Boy born in Oakland fire station visits building six years later
A 6-year-old boy spends his birthday revisiting his unique birthplace: Oakland Fire Station 20.
OAKLAND, California. – A little boy in Oakland celebrated his birthday with a visit to the fire station where firefighters helped his mother give birth.
Six years ago, the crew at Oakland Fire Station 20 welcomed a baby boy into the world at their firehouse. It was the evening of August 8, 2018, and Olga Villa was eight months pregnant when her water suddenly broke. She went to the closest place she could think of to get help, and that happened to be Station 20 in East Oakland.
Although a fire station is not a particularly good place for a birth, baby Abraham came whether he was ready or not.
Oakland firefighters at Station 20 welcomed him to celebrate his 6th birthday.
“We wouldn’t have made it to the hospital anyway, so this was basically the only place we could stop and get help,” Fernando Villa, Abraham’s father, recalled that day.
His wife Olga went into labor early and a few minutes later she gave birth to Abraham as a premature baby.
“He was born in my hands,” said Fernando. “I cut the umbilical cord in the car.”
After a successful birth, the family was taken to the hospital.
Now Abraham is a healthy boy.
“It was a great day because everyone wished me a happy birthday,” said Abraham, wearing his own firefighter helmet.
His birth was recorded in the station book, a special book in which every fire station operation is recorded. The family could look back and reminisce.
“It’s a wonderful experience because it brings back memories of that day,” said Fernando.
“It’s so cool and I love all the cars and some of the training stuff,” Abraham said.
The firefighters there on Thursday were a different group than the crew that day in 2018, but they still gave him a warm welcome.
“He was so excited to be in a fire station for, well, the second time in his life. I mean, I don’t think he remembers the first time, although he says he remembers,” said firefighter Maria Barairo.
Abraham was given a tour of the fire station and was allowed to sit in the truck.
“He wanted to sit in all the seats, he sat in the front seat, he sat in the back seat, he sat in the bucket seat,” Barairo said.
The firefighters gave him a gift bag with badges and stickers, as well as a few hugs as he left.
Abraham said he is thinking about becoming either a firefighter or a police officer later in life.
Whatever the case, the crew at Station 20 said he was welcome back anytime.
