Sunday, February 04, 2007
You should have named him Penny
An Atlantic City woman playing the penny slots Saturday morning left the Resorts Atlantic City casino with her own little jackpot — a new baby boy.
Eight-months pregnant Nyree Thompson, 32, went into labor on the casino floor about 9:30 a.m.
Thompson told The Press of Atlantic City for Sunday editions that she mistook labor pains for gas at first, but after going to the restroom told a security guard that she might be giving birth.
Thompson said the guard thought she was joking. Then her water broke. "A guard came over and said, 'Don't push,'" Thompson said. "I said, 'Forget you, this baby is coming right now.'"
Minutes later, a boy weighing less than 5 pounds was born. Thompson named him Qualeem.
Four security guards helped Thompson deliver the baby, wrapping the child in a jacket until paramedics arrived at about 9:40 a.m., said Steve Callender, vice president of operations at Resorts.
Mr. Callender, who has worked at Resorts since it opened in 1978, said the birth was a first for the casino as far as he knew: "We've had people die here," he said, "but we've never had people born here."
Mother and baby are doing fine.
Labels: Atlantic City, casinos
