Baby greeted by her first responders from parking lot of Lawrence Costco

Expectant mom Shantie Krissoondatt's due date wasn't until Aug. 13 so the Inwood woman thought she had plenty of time before her baby's arrival.

That was before the contractions started Monday. As her fiance sped her toward the hospital, she felt her baby wouldn't wait for the emergency room.

"She pretty much said, 'The baby's coming so call 911,' " said dad Christopher Lakharam, who pulled over in the parking lot of the Costco in Lawrence. 

Minutes later, with the help of a Nassau police medic and officers, the baby girl made her debut at 8:25 a.m. in her parents' vehicle outside the store. 

Late Monday afternoon, mom, dad and the baby — who hasn't yet been named — were reunited with the first responders at South Nassau Communities Hospital in Oceanside. 

"It just happened so quickly," Krissoondatt, 27, said Monday afternoon, holding her tightly swaddled baby, the second daughter for the Inwood couple. "I'm still in shock."

Nassau police Officers Angelina Minerva, Ryan Napolitano and Nicholas Ryan, said they helped make Krissoondatt get “comfortable” until the arrival of police Medic Kerri Ahern, who was told the contractions were two minutes apart. 

"The mom basically did everything," said Ahern, adding that her assistance to Krissoondatt marked her third on-the-job baby delivery. "We were just there to help." 

Although the birth took place in a store parking lot, Lakharam was still able to cut the umbilical cord.

Registered nurse Lauren Jezierski, who works in the hospital’s emergency room and examined Krissoondatt and the baby when they arrived via ambulance, said it was a nice change of pace from the trauma patients she usually sees. 
"I started out as nervous, but once it was all said and done, I was happy," Jezierski said. "I felt elated." 

Minerva, along with her fellow 4th Precinct colleagues, called the experience rewarding. 

"This is one of the best days that you can possibly have on patrol," Minerva said. "This is why a lot of us do what we do. And it's moments like this that you get through the rough times." 
The newborn — who weighed in at 5 pounds, 12 ounces and wore a white hat with a big bow festooned with pink jewels -- slept through her first news media appearance, as television cameras recorded.

A tired but smiling Krissoondatt told the officers and medic: "I'm so grateful for you guys, thank you."

By Nicole Fuller

nicole.fuller@newsday.com@NicoleFuller

Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.