Burning Man is known for its wild art, dust storms, and intense desert conditions — not for so much for surprise baby deliveries. But this week, one couple’s festival experience turned into something they’ll never forget: the birth of their daughter in the middle of the Nevada playa.
Kayla and Kasey Thompson of Salt Lake City were asleep in their camper when Kayla woke up with what she thought might be food poisoning or appendicitis, according to a report in The New York Times. It turns out, she was actually eight months pregnant. Minutes later, she was in labor — and the couple had no idea she’d even been pregnant. By the time the baby arrived, weighing just 3 pounds 9 ounces, Kasey was running outside the RV shouting for help.
Help appeared almost instantly. A neonatal nurse, an OB-GYN, and a pediatric doctor — all strangers camping nearby — rushed into the Thompsons’ RV, some still in festival clothes (or in the OB-GYN’s case, just underwear). They cut the umbilical cord, wrapped the newborn in a towel, and improvised with hot water bottles to keep her warm until medics could get her to safety…