With a baby girl’s life hanging in the balance, one unlikely hero swooped in to save the day.

Sudden birth, sudden crisis

Keaton Mason and her fiancé were rushing to the hospital because Mason was in labor.

However, the baby had plans for an early arrival, as Mason gave birth in her white Honda at a truck stop along Interstate 40, per News9.com.

Elation quickly turned to horror and a passerby named Jennifer dialled 911 to help.

The lady was screaming, ‘My baby, my baby’s blue. … She’s not breathing

– Jennifer Morris

Mason’s baby girl was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck and was fading fast.

Help on the highway

Enter Gary Wilson, a homeless man who was hitchhiking east when he spotted Mason.

With the guidance of the 911 operator, Wilson calmly took control and reassured Mason as she removed the cord from the newborn’s neck and rubbed her back for comfort. Just like that, as quick as crisis hit, relief returned.

Mason said, “He kept me pretty calm. … He said, ‘Everything’s OK. She’s OK, she’s breathing.'”

Paramedic Sandra Lesperance said that Wilson acted like a seasoned veteran.

“He did everything perfectly right,” she said.

Help is all around

Tatum Brown was born four weeks early at four pounds, 11 ounces. Most importantly, she’s starting life with a clean bill of health.

For his actions, Wilson was given a free meal at the truck stop and a free place to stay as he passed through. By the next morning, he was gone as if he was never there.

He was our angel that night. That’s for sure

– Keaton Mason

Mason must have been terrified seeing her baby going from taking her first breathe to coming so dangerously close to taking her last. Thanks to Gary Wilson, Tatum survived.

Wilson’s heroics remind us that in times of crisis, things like clothing or class go out the window. It’s about humanity. While Mason probably prayed for a medic in that moment, sometimes all you need is a human being who’s concerned enough to rush and help. You can be sure that wherever that man is hitching his ride, there’s a grateful mom who calls him her guardian angel.

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