Photo: Julianna Scherzer and the woman who assisted with the delivery, Sandy Laughner

What began as a routine day for Davenport University nursing student Julianna Scherzer turned into an unforgettable experience and a powerful introduction to the career she’s just beginning to explore.

On the afternoon of September 24, Scherzer had just finished her classes for the day on Davenport’s Great Lakes Bay campus and headed to Covenant Medical Center Harrison in Saginaw to visit a friend. She had just opened her car door when she heard a man calling for help. His wife was in active labor inside their Jeep. Scherzer ran over to assist.

“In the moment, I was very scared, but I knew they needed help,” Scherzer said. “I had never delivered a baby or seen a birth. It was a lot of emotions for me. I was so scared of what could go wrong.”

The soon-to-be father went to get a wheelchair but it quickly became clear that there wasn’t going to be time. Scherzer reassured the mother and helped her to deliver. Another woman, who also had limited experience, rushed over to help, too.

“The parents did so well in that moment,” Scherzer said. “They were so scared too, and they trusted me, a student nurse, to help them. They instinctually knew just what to do. This is their experience, not mine. They deserve the recognition.”

Scherzer, who became a Certified Medical Assistant at 19 and currently works at a dermatology office, has had on-and-off experience in health care settings but just recently decided to pursue her bachelor’s degree in nursing. While labor and delivery had always been on her radar, this experience has moved it to the top of her list of future specialties.

“I’ll never forget what it felt like in that moment. I’m going to take that with me forever.”

Mom and baby are healthy and went home from the hospital just two days after the birth – with a great story to tell.

Click here to read more on this story from the Midland Daily News.