A grandmother helps deliver her grandson in a car—just hours after losing her own mother
At Motherly, we know that motherhood is full of moments that leave you breathless—some with overwhelming joy, others with heartbreak. And sometimes, life brings both at the same time.
That’s exactly what happened to Elissa Danielle West, who found herself delivering her own grandson in a car on the same day she lost her mother.
The story, first reported by WPVI-TV Philadelphia, is the kind that stays with you—a reminder of the way love, loss, and life are deeply intertwined.
And I get it. Stories like this remind me of my own experience—when I was pregnant with my first baby, my grandmother was dying of a major stroke. At eight months pregnant, I sat beside her hospital bed, holding her hand, knowing she wouldn’t get to meet my son. I thanked her for everything she had done for our family, even as I was readying myself to step into motherhood. It was one of the most poignant moments of my life—the realization that while one chapter was closing, another was about to begin.
A birth that wouldn’t wait
For Elissa and her daughter, Alysa West, the shift from grief to new life came suddenly.
On February 25, Alysa was sitting with her mom at her grandmother’s house in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, when she suddenly felt a contraction.
“We hopped in the car, drove halfway down the street, and she started screaming, ‘Mom, my water just broke,’” Elissa recalled.
They had planned to head to Cooper Hospital in Camden, but baby Noah had other ideas. Realizing they wouldn’t make it, Elissa pulled over into a parking lot at Route 70 and Kingston Drive. She called 911, but within moments, she found herself delivering her own grandson with her own hands.
“I jumped out of the car. 911 says, ‘Do you see anything?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I can see the head.’ Within seconds, the top of the baby’s head popped out, and a couple seconds later, I just said, ‘Give me a little push,’ and out he came. And I caught him.”
Just hours after learning of her own mother’s passing, Elissa was the first person to hold her grandson.
Elissa may have delivered Noah herself, but she and Alysa credit the quick response of the paramedics from Virtua Health and Cherry Hill for ensuring both mom and baby were safe.
Grief, gratitude, and the meaning of Noah
The timing of Noah’s birth—just hours after the passing of his great-grandmother—felt like something more than coincidence.
“It was very sad about my mother, but I think that this baby was sent as a distraction because he certainly distracted all of us from our day. He’s beautiful,” Elissa said.
Alysa named him Noah, which means comfort.
“When he came out, he was just so calm, and he really was that comfort and calming that we needed as a family, and we can heal,” she said.
Perhaps the most chilling part? Noah’s due date was originally March 8—the day his great-grandmother’s funeral will now take place.
Related: How to help kids and their emotions during huge life changes—like moving, divorce or death
The science behind these moments
The way grief and joy collide in families isn’t just something we feel—it’s something researchers have studied for years.
A study published in Midwifery explored the experiences of children born after an infant loss in the family. The findings revealed that these subsequent children often felt cherished and special, understanding their unique place within the family narrative. They acknowledged their parents’ previous grief but perceived it as enhancing familial bonds rather than detracting from their own upbringing.
Additionally, research in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology demonstrated that individuals are capable of experiencing mixed emotions, such as happiness and sadness, simultaneously. Grief and gratitude aren’t opposites—they often walk hand in hand, helping us process the past while embracing the future.
And research in Omega: Journal of Death and Dying suggests that losing a parent can impact a person’s decisions about starting a family. The research found that individuals who experienced the death of a parent during their reproductive years had an increased likelihood of having children shortly after the loss. Some people feel an almost instinctual pull toward new life after experiencing death, seeking continuity in the face of loss.
Science may help explain why Noah’s arrival felt like something bigger than timing. But in the end, what the West family knows is this: love, in all its forms, never really leaves us.
Related: An invitation to the bereaved parents club
Love never really leaves
For the West family, Noah’s birth wasn’t just about welcoming a new baby—it was about finding light in the midst of deep sorrow.
Elissa knows her mother won’t be there to hold her great-grandson, but she also knows she’s there in every way that matters.
“My mother loved holding babies, and unfortunately she won’t get to hold this one, but she’s there,” she said.
And that’s the thing about love—it doesn’t end. It just takes new forms.
Related: How to help your child deal with the death of a loved one
Sources:
Research explores pregnancy after perinatal loss. Midwifery journal. 2010. “Born after infant loss: the experiences of subsequent children”
Studies show grief and joy coexist. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 2001. “Can people feel happy and sad at the same time?”
Losing a parent may influence family planning. Omega—Journal of Death and Dying. 2018. “Death Is Not the End: A Register-Based Study of the Effect of Parental Death on Adult Children’s Childbearing Behavior in Sweden”
