The Night I was Born

Lois and Gordon were married on 27 December 1937. The story of that day has been told in a previous blog. Their first child Betty Lou was born 11 months later in October 1938 and Lois Ann was born almost exactly two years later, in September, 1940. Because the birth of Lois Ann had been very difficult, Lois had been advised not to have more children. However, in spite of the excellent advice (and nature being what it is) Lois became pregnant again in the spring of 1942 the year that she and Gordon moved to Dickson's Corners. In spite of the fact that the new baby was due at any time, and in spite of the fact that they drove an old car with bad tires and no heating system, the family travelled north for Christmas day with Gordon's parents who now lived in St. Pauls and two days later they made the return trip to Stratford for the traditional New Year's celebration with Gordon's aunt and uncle, Charlie and Alice Ballantyne. It was already dark by the time they left Stratford for the return trip to Dickson's Corners. The heavy snow which had fallen earlier, had turned to rain and the visibility was very poor. Once on the road they realized that it would be impossible to drive out to the farm to pick up Roberta, Lois' ten year old sister who had been invited for holidays. They pulled into Norman McCully's farm which overlooks the valley of Trout Creek heading to St. Marys and phoned Lois' father to say that they didn't dare leave the main road. The McCully's pressed them to stay at their farm for the night, but they decided to continue on, and after a white knuckled ride south on the 10th concession, through Uniondale, Medina, Kintore and on to Thamesford where they turned left onto Dundas Street and then right onto Highway 2 and so on to Dickson's Corners. As Gordon rounded the cedar hedge leading into the driveway at home the car slid off the road into a snow bank. There they left it. Gordon carried the two girls into the house and left them still in their winter clothes on the couch in the living room while he proceeded to relight the fire which had long-since gone out in the old pot bellied stove which sat on a slightly raised platform in the middle of the living room. It was then that Lois realized that the baby was ready to be born and that she would have to get to the hospital in London. There was a panic phone call to Jim and Mary Calder the neighbours from across the road. Mary said that she would take the girls home with her, while Jim and Gordon went out to dig out the car. After some furious digging and rocking, the car came out of the snowbank, and slid across the lane into the ditch on the other side. With that Jim Calder decided that Gordon and Lois should head to London in the Calder car.  Lois' contractions were coming more frequently, and as they drove into London, Gordon realized that he had no idea how to find Victoria Hospital. They stopped, got directions, and arrived at Victoria hospital to be met by Dr Shute, Lois' specialist who had been alerted by Mary Calder that Gordon and Lois were on their way. After a quick examination, Dr. Shute announced that the baby was coming and that there was no time for any preparation. One of the nurses asked Lois when she had had her last contraction and when Lois said "at Kellogg's" the nurse responded: "Oh you poor thing, you have worked right up until now."  (The attached picture is of what the Kellogg's plant would have looked like as they passed by in 1942 when Lois had her last contraction. They still had a 15 minute drive to Victoria Hospital.)  Lois remembers that the anaesthetic which she was given was strong enough enough to make her drift off but not strong enough to prevent her from saying time after time: "What have I got? What have I got?" Each time she asked the question, the patient nurses reassured her that it was a boy but the question would be asked again. This continued until everyone was laughing. When the baby was brought to her, Lois immediately took off his diaper to check to be sure that it was the boy she wanted after having two girls. Some time later when Gordon left the hospital he felt that the excitement was over for that day but, unfortunately, when he found Jim Calder's car Gordon realized that he had no idea of how to start it. Gordon found a doctor who was leaving the hospital and pleaded with him for help. Deeply sceptical, the doctor finally agreed to start the car and Gordon was able to get home without incidence.