Dad inspired to become paramedic after birth of daughter

Father-of-four Carl Birks’ daughter Felicity was born prematurely at just 29 weeks and given a five per cent chance of survival after being diagnosed with Hydrops Fetalis.

Felicity was born via an emergency C-section in April 2019 and was transferred to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Jessop wing in Sheffield.

Carl kisses his baby daughter Felicity (Image: Cark Birks)She was in hospital for the first 116 days of her life, and it was the 30-minute journey in an ambulance on the day she was born which prompted Carl to leave his job as a car salesman and retrain as a paramedic.

Felicity, now four, has made a full recovery as Carl carries out his studies at the University of Bradford.

Felicity, now aged four, has made a full recovery (Image: Karl Birks)Carl said: “It was like a whirlwind. She was born at 29 weeks, three months early. We were never prepared at all. Nobody ever tells you that it’s a possibility that it is going to happen."

His wife, Charlie, 35, is set to study for a nursing degree once he completes his four-year BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science degree at the University of Bradford, which he started in September 2023.

Carl Birks, his wife Charlie and their daughter Felicity when she was a baby (Image: Carl Birks)“We were told that they needed to deliver this baby now, as she’s not going to survive. Charlie went to have a C-section and all I got of Felicity was a picture. 

“Me and Felicity got into the ambulance to take us to Sheffield. The paramedics, that’s what stuck in my head. That’s all that I remember from the journey. They told me to eat and drink. My head was all over the place.”

Carl revealed he wants to copy some of his experience of the care he received from paramedics on that day to help those he will be looking after once he fully qualifies.

Carl Birks who is studying BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science at the University of Bradford (Image: KM Images Ltd)He said: “I want to make people feel a tiny bit better, as that support got me through it. I want to be that person for someone else.

“I think it will help me being a paramedic having been there myself and having known what they are feeling. Understanding what the people are going through and giving back. 

“Before any of this happened I never thought I could do this as a job. As soon as I did it I thought ‘This is me, this is what I want to do’.”