CINCINNATI — An Ohio Department of Transportation snowplow escorted an ambulance to a children’s hospital during the winter storm over the weekend.
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A baby boy who needed a “higher level of care” had to be transferred from Mercy Anderson to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital after 1 p.m. on Sunday, our media partner WCPO-9 TV reported.
Due to the snowy road conditions, the Cincinnati Children’s transport team reached out to ODOT for an escort.
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WCPO-9 spoke with the ODOT driver, Joe Estes, on Monday.
He said his shift just started, and his boss told him about the request.
Estes drove about 30 to 35 mph, plowing the snow for the ambulance, which followed about 150 feet behind him.
“It was just plow the way safely, let’s get there in one piece,” Estes said. “It’s probably the most important trek of my ODOT career. It wasn’t just pushing snow.”
The trip typically takes around 15 minutes, but the heavy snow made it take nearly half an hour.
Estes said he didn’t know the patient, but the journey was meaningful, WCPO-9 reported.
“Knowing I played a small, small role in helping this ambulance and this child and family make it ... it’s a feel-good story,” Estes said.
Estes has been an ODOT driver for more than seven years. He urges people to stay home as plow drivers shift their focus to side streets.
WCPO-9 also talked to Heather Lipps, a respiratory therapist, and Kelly Besl, the clinical director of transportation. They were both in the ambulance on Sunday.
Lipps wasn’t sure the plan would work, but the entire team was hoping for the best.
“It was nerve-racking to begin with,” Lipps said. “But the minute that we saw Joe, we knew everything was going to be just fine.”
Besl said she was part of the group that decided to call ODOT for help, WCPO-9 reported.
“We moved as fast as we could because we knew we were losing our window of time to get to that baby,” Besl said. “Time is everything.”
On board the ambulance, the team focused on keeping the baby safe and warm during the ride.
Besl said the baby and his parents are doing well, WCPO-9 reported.
“Every day is a positive day when we can save a child,” Lipps said.
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