BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Blizzard of 2022 put a lot of things on hold, Christmas, Hanukkah, and countless family get-togethers, the one thing that seemingly could not be stopped was childbirth.
While Western New York was being frozen in time soon to be mother and father Erica and Davon Thomas had a different clock that was ticking down. Their baby girl was due on Christmas Day, and they appeared to be stuck inside with the storm.
Contractions started late Friday night.
Saturday morning Davon said he looked out the window and thought, "I was like, the weather is just getting worse and worse, trucks are getting stuck everywhere."
The couple said they called 911 shortly after 8 a.m. They hoped that somehow they could get to the hospital, but when Davon called first responders, again and again, he was told all of their attempts had failed.
Their home off Eggert Road was seven miles from Oishei Children's Hospital so walking was out of the question. The couple said their mindset started changing and Davon started making other calls.
"You know, I was walking through the apartment, pacing through," Erica said.
"I was just trying to be as supportive as possible because I knew if I freaked out, she would too," Davon added.
Looking for any help they could find, Davon said his buddy, Jeter Neville, suggested posting in the Buffalo Blizzard 2022 Facebook group.
An online community that had become a makeshift emergency response team during the height of the storm, it was built solely on proximity and community connections across Western New York.
When Neville shared the Thomases' story, the City of Good Neighbors went to work. The couple said they got coaching from two doulas over the phone, and their neighbor, Katie McClain-Meeder, saw the story and came over to help even more.
The Thomases didn't know that Katie had a planned home birth of her own.
"I just wanted them to know that they weren't alone," McClain-Meeder said.
Erica Thomas added: "It was just a joy that someone next door gave a care in their heart."
They got countless other tips and tricks from people online, and by mid-Saturday afternoon, they were headed into the final stretch.
"Two o'clock I think that's when it was. I was really like it's here and then at 3:31 p.m. here she came into our home," Erica Thomas said.
Davon who delivered his firstborn child said, "she didn't cry or anything she just looked at me and looked at her mother and was like hey I'm here [he laughed]."
They got their bundle of joy to the hospital on Christmas morning thanks to another kind stranger. The Thomases said Angel Lugo drove his truck to their home, trudged through the snow, and then transported the couple and little Devynn Brielle to Oishei Children's Hospital.
She weighed 6 pounds 9 ounces and was 20 inches long.
"It's just a joy looking in her eyes just knowing together this is what we waited 9 months for," said mom Erica Thomas.
Davon's "little winter blizzard baby," both parents take it as a sign said she is ready to take on the world.
They joked about planning for a summer baby next time and hope that Devynn's sibling doesn't also come during a storm.