News / Community / Business / 18th March 2021
Kindness of a stranger
Two men and a baby - an incredible act of kindness and one relieved mother.
Thanks to the generous act of a Coonabarabran man, a family was reunited just in time for the birth of their child.
When Renea Jenkins and Tim Kiellor came into Coonabarabran to do some shopping last Saturday, 13 March, the pair didn’t anticipate a mercy dash to the maternity ward at Dubbo Base Hospital.
While in town, Mrs Jenkins went into labour - two weeks early - so the pair quickly made their way to Coonabarabran Health Service.
Everything went pear-shaped when they arrived, as their Mitsubishi Pajero broke down in the hospital carpark, leaving the expectant father stranded as his wife was bundled into hospital transport bound for Dubbo.
Enter Marc Hawkins, local electrician. Without hesitating, Mr Hawkins handed over the keys to his work ute.
“He told me he had a car five minutes away,” Mr Kiellor said.
“I didn’t want to have to take a stranger’s car, I was in the middle of trying to organise one of my boss’s work cars, but it was a good two hour round-trip away.
“If I had tried to do that I wouldn’t have been there for the birth.
“It was unreal, Marc didn’t know me from a bar of soap.
“It’s the only reason we were able to be together for the birth, because of him.”
Leigha Rose Kiellor was born moments after Mr Kiellor arrived at Dubbo Base Hospital.
Mr Hawkins recalled Mr Kiellor’s panic stricken voice as he overheard him on the phone trying to organise another car.
“We were at the hospital because our young fella’ had an ear infection,” Mr Hawkins said.
“I could hear Tim was in a bit of a panic and he said that he didn’t know what he was going to do because his wife was in labour and being taken to Dubbo and his car had broken down.
“He was hesitant to take a stranger’s car, but in the end he didn’t have another option.
“I’m glad I was able to help.”
To make the story even more extraordinary, Marc Hawkins’ middle name is Leigh, very close to new the couple’s new daughter, Leigha.