Soldier sees daughter’s birth via Skype at EAMC - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

Soldier sees daughter’s birth via Skype at EAMC

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OPELIKA, AL (WTVM) -

She's not even a day old, but beautiful baby girl Lexi Marie is already making history

East Alabama Medical Center history was made Tuesday morning with the birth of the tiny baby girl.

Her proud new parents who say technology and a dedicated team of doctors and nurses allowed their family to be together when the biggest joy of their life came into the world.

With a little bit of technology, lots of love and planning by the delivery team at East Alabama Medical Center, National Guard Specialist Harrison Barninger was able to watch his wife Sarah deliver their daughter via Skype from Afghanistan.

"It meant a lot, I really wanted him here," Sarah said. "So glad it worked out so well this morning."

Dr. Kerri Hensarling tried to help the family get Harrison home for the birth, but the request was denied.

"I just wish I could have been there, but that is just the way it works out sometime," said Harrison.

Refusing to give up, Dr. Hensarling and her team arranged the hospital's first live Skype delivery for the young parents Tuesday morning...

"This is historic for EAMC, absolutely," said Dr. Hensarling. "Very blessed to be a part of it, so excited it worked so well for the family and especially for him and for the mom and he was able to be with her…and what a scary thing to go through a C-section or any other operation or delivery and not have her support person. So he was in a sense next to her and was very comforting for her and it was wonderful for all of us to experience."

"[It] made it a whole lot easier, I wasn't as nervous anymore," Sarah said. "I'm really thankful, very thankful to Dr. Hensarling it made me happy that he got to see her and hear her and everything."

Harrison's deployment ends in seven months.Mom and baby will be counting down the days until next May when their soldier returns home from the front lines to hold his baby girl in his arms for the first time.

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