Pregnant woman saved by wristband in Austria
Bregenz, Austria – When Bernd D. ‘s wife went prematurely into labor, the couple did not expect a two hour drive to the closest hospital in a major snowstorm. “Driving down the winding mountain road at night requires extreme concentration,” said 37-year Bernd D., “and that is without severe weather conditions. I had to keep the car on the road and support my wife, whose contractions came only five minutes apart.”
Bernd D. had missed the warning signs. In the middle of one of the worst snowstorms so far this year his car broke down and he got stranded on the side of a deserted road. He tried calling for help, but there was no cell phone service. Having worked as a mechanic in the summer, when the local ski resorts were closed, Bernd D. knew his way around cars. He got out of the vehicle and checked the engine. The throttle cable of his 1997 Mazda had broken off from the throttle arm. Not having any parts to fix his car the desperate and freezing father got back into the vehicle. His wife’s contractions were speeding up. Reaching out to console her, he suddenly noticed the silicone wristband she was wearing. Their eight year old daughter had given it to her mother for good luck. Bernd D. tied the wristband to a loop he made in the broken throttle cable and attached it to the throttle arm. He was able to restart the car and continued on his journey.
The couple arrived at the hospital shortly before 2 a.m. Mother and twin brothers Fabian and Alexander are doing fine. “My daughter’s wristband saved us all!” Bernd D. proclaimed. “Who would have thought that such a small item can make such a big difference?”