Mom Credits ‘Friendly Jinx’ for Giving Birth at Health First’s Holmes Regional During Hurricane Nicole

storm was no match for baby Asher

The storm was no match for baby Asher as he was destined to make his debut despite what Mother Nature had in mind.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – As a historic November Hurricane Nicole took shape over Brevard County, drenching an already saturated ground with even more water, most everyone was already hunkered down and prepared for the worst – including the blistering winds.

This included Elissa Kissell, who was 9 months pregnant and scheduled for a C-section on November 15.

However, a birth scheduled for next week began, you guessed it, Wednesday night.

“My contractions started getting stronger and was hoping and wishing we could wait out the storm as long as possible,” Kissell said.

Baby Asher had other plans and felt like coming earlier than expected.

Spencer Kissell, Elissa’s husband, shifted into ultimate dad mode at 1:30 a.m. and braved Nicole’s heavy winds and constant downpour.

“The drive was a little stressful,” Spencer said. “I had a screaming wife in the front seat, our daughter in the backseat trying to sleep and just trying to get to grandparent’s house to drop her off and then head to Health First’s Holmes Regional Medical Center.”

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Getting there was half the battle. The next phase took an entire team to help deliver a healthy baby boy.

“I just wanted to get there safely but quickly,” Kissell said. “And afterward, I was focused on right here, right now and let’s get this baby out.”

And could it be a friendly jinx to deliver a baby during a hurricane? Well, for Elissa, that’s a question for her coworkers.

“I said to them to not say that and sure enough he did come during the hurricane,” Kissell said. “But we’re going to have quite the story to tell him one day.”

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