Starbucks Employee Helps Deliver Baby on Sidewalk

A Starbucks employee in Tacoma, Washington is being dubbed a hero after she helped deliver a baby.

Rashelle Rehms, a shift supervisor for a 24-hour drive-thru Starbucks in Tacoma, Washington, found herself shifting into a midwife on Friday night when a man came up to the drive-thru window at around 1 a.m. and requested help for his wife, who was about to give birth.

“He said she’s laying on the ground about to have a baby,” Rehms, who says she immediately grabbed towels and rushed to the woman’s side, told KIRO 7. “The lady was laying right here. So I got the towels for her this side. She said she needed her pants off so I took those off for her and I noticed the baby was crowning. So I asked her to lift her hips so I could put the towels underneath her hips and as soon as she lifted her hips the baby came right out.”

Rehms stayed with the baby and mom until paramedics arrived and later went to the visit them in the hospital, where she said they are both doing well. As for whether or not she was afraid during the ordeal, Rehms credited her quick thinking to being a mother-of-two herself.

“When you’re a mom you kind of go back to those moments when your babies are born. There was no really fear. It was just mainly this needs to be done and she needs help,” she said.

Although Rehms broke store policy when she left the building, a spokesperson for Starbucks released a statement praising Rehms.

“We’re proud of Rashelle for her quick thinking and actions until additional help could arrive, and appreciate their quick response as well,” the statement reads.

The popular coffee chain is hoping to make the future a brighter place for the little one that Rehms helped deliver, the company announcing on Monday its plans to combat plastic pollution by getting rid of plastic straws.

“For our partners and customers, this is a significant milestone to achieve our global aspiration of sustainable coffee, served to our customers in more sustainable ways,” president and chief executive officer for Starbucks Kevin Johnson said.

Starbucks intends to stop offering plastic straws at all locations by 2020, instead offering biodegradable straws upon request. The coffee chain has also developed an adult sippy cup-styled lid, which is currently available in more than 8,000 stores for select beverages and will soon be implemented for all iced beverages.