DALLAS, Ga. - For the second time in less than a month, a baby was born at a Chick-fil-A. This time, though, the restaurant was closed since it was Sunday, Aug. 12. The mother was forced to have her baby inside her mini-van in the restaurant's parking lot.
West Michigan native Marcie Masselink, who now lives in Georgia, was on her way to the hospital when she began having severe contractions and she knew she was in labor. Her husband Scott pulled the van over into the Chick-fil-A parking lot on Charlie Watts Blvd in Dallas, Georgia, which is approximately three miles from the nearest hospital.
Masselink said her husband stopped at the very last moment.
"He parked the car just in time to catch her delivery," Masselink said.
Masselink says her baby, Oaklyn Ann, is healthy and is doing well considering the situation. Though, she still can't believe the sequence of events that led to her husband delivering the baby.
"He (Scott) was great considering what happened," Masselink said. "He stayed pretty calm under pressure, but it was pretty intense and emotional. I wouldn't recommend it."
As a company, Chick-fil-A closes all of its restaurants on Sunday. The baby was born at approximately 8 p.m.
RELATED | Texas baby born in a Chick-fil-A bathroom to get free food for life, plus a guaranteed job
13 ON YOUR SIDE contacted leaders at Chick-fil-A who initially did not know the incident happened. Managers at the store reviewed security footage of an ambulance in the back parking lot of the restaurant.
Last month, a similar incident happened in San Antonio, Texas. A woman was on the way to the hospital and began to have intense contractions. The couple stopped at a Chick-fil-A so that the mother, Falon Griffin, could use the bathroom. The restaurant had just closed at night and the woman went into labor in the restroom. Gracelyn Mae Violet Griffin was born right there at Chick-fil-A.
In that case, as a reward for her unexpected birth at the establishment, Chick-fil-A offered the baby food for life and a guaranteed job at 14 years old.
Masselink said she had heard about the Texas case last month and laughed when we asked her about it.
"They're probably going to think we did it on purpose but we only had about a minute to spare before her delivery," Masselink said.
Emergency crews arrived moments after the baby's birth.
Masselink graduated from Grand Rapids South Christian High School and later coached volleyball at the school. She moved to Georgia from the Grand Rapids area three years ago.