A premature baby girl was born at a festival after her mother, unaware she was pregnant, unexpectedly went into labour in the middle of the Nevada desert during the Burning Man festival.
Kayla Thompson, 36, was in her camper van during the music festival in the Nevada desert when she began experiencing labour pains in the early morning. The fact that Kayla had no idea that she was pregnant made the birth all the more extraordinary. Baby Aurora weighed only 3 pounds, 9.6 ounces and measured 16.5 inches long when she was born.
Kasey, baby Aurora’s father, recalled shouting for help. “I just started yelling for anyone to come help me”. Thankfully, within minutes, several medical professionals who were also at the festival, including an obstetrician, a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurse and a paediatrician, gathered to care for the mother and baby.
“In a matter of minutes we had an [obstetrician], a NICU nurse, a paediatrician in there – I don’t know where they all came from, they just came”, said Kasey.
The newborn was later transferred by helicopter to the NICU, alone, as there was no room for either parent with the necessary medical staff.
“The medical staff at Burning Man grabbed me and just hugged me and said he’s not going to let her out of her sight” Kasey said.
“He kept reassuring me she’s going to be ok”.
Treatment received by mother and baby was a “miracle”
Kayla explained that she experienced a cryptic pregnancy, which occurs when the pregnant woman is unaware of their pregnancy, discovering this late in pregnancy or when labour starts. A consequence of this is that there may be little to no physical indication that the woman is pregnant, leading to a lack of preparedness.
With its reputation for its lack of accessibility, the Burning Man festival does not make for an ideal place to give birth. Kasey said “Had I known [about the pregnancy], that’s the absolutely last place on this planet I would have been”.
Kasey described the effective treatment that Aurora received both at the festival and in the NICU after as a “miracle”.
Kayla was discharged the following day, but her baby is still at the NICU. Despite the surprise and shock of her birth, Kasey stated that baby Aurora will be his “everything”.
He added “She’s just going to light up my sky”.
Since baby Aurora was completely unexpected, the parents did not have time to make normal preparations before the birth. A GoFundMe page with a target of $15k has been set up by the child’s aunt to help cover the unexpected costs of Aurora’s arrival, including medical bills, baby supplies, or even nursery fees. “Most people get nine months to prepare,” the aunt said. “They became parents in a blink of an eye”.
Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said “Baby Aurora’s story is a powerful reminder that every child, no matter how fragile or unexpected their arrival, is precious and worthy of protection. The fact that strangers came together in such difficult circumstances to fight for her life shows the instinctive recognition of the dignity of every human being”.
