Douglas in
National Spotlight
after Student
Gives Birth in
Classroom

Nicole Burton, OP News Editor

L, a rare moment two weeks
ago, Douglas College was being visited
by local and national news media, after
a nursing student gave birth inside a
classroom at the New Westminster
campus.

On Tuesday, February 27", Haddy
Saal-Keita gave birth to a baby girl on
the floor of her English composition
classroom during the class’ midterm
exam—only minutes after beginning to
have labour pains, her fellow students
said.

“Tt happened so fast,” said Amber,

a second year geography student.
“Basically all we tried to do was clear
away room and get everyone out of
there for the sake of her privacy.”

“Tt was definitely one of those ‘once
in a lifetime’ experiences.”

Two students stayed inside the room
to give her support until security and
paramedics arrived,

When her baby was born, one
student reportedly tied off the umbilical
cord with a shoelace while another gave
his coat to wrap the newborn.

“Jill was by my side helping me and
offering reassurance to me because I
was overwhelmed,” said Saal-Keita to

news reporters on March Ist.

“She was encouraging me and
talking to me until everything was
completed. It was very fast.”

MacLachlan responded to the
situation quickly by alerting security,
who then contacted paramedics.
Students in the classroom also
individually began calling 9-1-1.

“By this point, the baby had basically
already arrived,” said Jill MacLachlan,
instructor of the class. “We did our
best given the situation, and I think
that it went quite well considering the
situation—especially due to the help
of the brave students who stayed with
Haddy.”

Many Douglas students who had
already finished classes by the time of
the 5:30 birth learned of the incident
the following day when Haddy and her
new-born baby daughter were featured
on the front page of the Province
newspaper.

“Tt’s such a surprise, really a first for
the school I think,” said Sara, a second
year nursing student at the New West
campus. “The news spread like wildfire
through the nursing department, and all
of us have sent our best wishes out to
Haddy and her family.”

 

New Career
Opportunities in
Animal Health

Care

Kelly Parry, OP Contributor

P.. who have a keen
desire to work with animals can
now train for a rewarding career as a
Registered Veterinary Technologist in
Douglas College’s new Animal Health
Technology program.

“The rise in animal population in
the Lower Mainland and shortage
of training programs makes the
demand for qualified animal health
technologists quite high,” says
veterinarian Dr. Pauline Chow, who
co-coordinates the program with Dr.
Diane Boyle.

The two-year diploma program,
developed in consultation with the BC
Veterinary Medical Association, will
prepare students for jobs as veterinarian
technicians or nurses. Graduates
will find work in veterinary clinics
and hospitals, farm and large-animal
operations and other settings.

“This program is the first of its kind
in the Lower Mainland. Taught by

 

practising veterinarians, it will combine
both theoretical and practical training
in small and large animal nursing. The
Veterinary community has been eagerly
anticipating just such a program for a
long time,” say Dr. Boyle.

Requirements for entry into
the program include some work or
volunteer experience in animal or
veterinary settings, along with academic
requirements in math, sciences and
English.

Based in Coquitlam’s David Lam
Campus, the program’s first classes start
in September. Enrolment is limited and
the application deadline is April 2.

For more information attend a free
Information Session on March 13 at 3
pm in room B2010 at the David Lam
Campus or March 27 at 5 pm in room
1614 at the New Westminster Campus.
Interested applicants should call 604-
777-6214 or visit www.douglas.bc.ca/
programs/animal-health-tech.