For the second time in his career, Sartell, Minnesota, Police Officer Steve Matthews found himself in the right place at the right time — helping to bring a new life into the world.
Matthews wasn’t the only officer assisting with the delivery of a healthy baby girl inside a Sartell home on March 21, but he was the only one who had done it before.
When Tasha Allstott’s due date came and went late last week, she had already decided on her soon-to-be daughter’s name: Patience. Less than 24 hours later, Patience was done waiting.
“I didn’t want to believe that it was time,” Allstott said. “I was scared.”
Shortly after waking up, Allstott went into labor. Her husband, Donovan Johnson, called 9-1-1, and just 11 minutes later, she delivered her baby girl.
“I wasn’t too far away, so I was the first one there,” Officer Steve Matthews told KARE11.
The rapid arrival wasn’t just a surprise for the family — it was a déjà vu moment for Matthews.
“I could tell as soon as he walked in that he was going to be the one catching the baby … or delivering the baby,” Allstott said with a laugh. “Then I asked if he had done it before. That was my first question.”
“I said, ‘Yes, I have,’” Matthews said, laughing. “I wasn’t nervous because I’ve done it before, so it isn’t a big deal.”
Matthews’ first time came on August 2015, when he helped deliver Delaney Rose Eaton.
“It just all happened very rapidly,” said Barbara Eaton, Delaney’s mother, who recalled her own in-home delivery. “I had a doctor appointment that morning, and there was no indication that Delaney was ready to join us. It was an intense moment, but it worked out well.”
When Eaton learned that Matthews had assisted with another delivery nearly 10 years later, she was thrilled.
“I think he was the perfect person for that opportunity again,” she said. “In my experience, he was incredibly professional, calm, and just took charge of the entire situation.”
Matthews remembers his first delivery a bit differently.
“That was a little more nerve-racking,” he said. “When we go through first responder training, we do discuss those types of situations, but it’s always the doom-and-gloom situation of childbirth — so much so that the first time that you do it, you think anything and everything could possibly go wrong. And then … it doesn’t, and it’s OK.”
It’s more than OK.
Barbara Eaton says Delaney is now in the fourth grade and thriving. Tasha and Patience are also doing great, and the entire family is grateful for Matthews, along with Officer Adam VandeVrede and Sgt. Matt Gray, who all assisted with the delivery.
“They definitely brought me comfort when I was really scared,” Tasha said. “They were there when we needed them to be there.”
Matthews says he’s simply grateful he could be in the right place at the right time—again.
“She’s a little blessing,” he said, holding baby Patience on Monday. “I’d be happy to go for number three.”
The Sartell Police Department shared the heartwarming news on social media:
“Earlier this morning, we welcomed a new honorary member to the Sartell Police Department in a bit of a non-traditional way. Officers Steve Matthews, Adam VandeVrede and Sgt. Matt Gray responded to the call of a resident going into labor. This baby girl was not waiting for an ambulance to arrive, and these three officers were able to safely deliver a healthy baby girl into the world. Mom and baby Patience (very appropriately named) are healthy and resting in the hospital. Although not a typical day for our staff, it was a proud one that they will not soon forget.”