Soldier in Iraq Participated in Birth of his Baby Girl via Video Conference
Follow up conference between new parents and baby covers more than 9,000 miles between St. Luke's Hospital – Allentown Campus and Iraq Over Freedom Calls Satellite Network
Allentown, PA. & Taji, Iraq (3/5/2009) – Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the Freedom Calls Foundation and St. Luke's Hospital & Health Network, Sergeant Robert Badua was able to participate in the birth of his daughter Rayana Mae from the front lines of Iraq. His first words were, "She's beautiful!"
Miracle of Life Shared 9,000 Miles Away
Sgt. Badua encouraged his wife Katrina through the labor and delivery, and the couple marveled over the miracle of life at St. Luke's Hospital – Allentown Campus via an enterprise class videoconference.
According to the second-time mom Katrina, "I'm so thankful that St. Luke's helped us to be a family during our delivery; I thought I'd be having this baby without my husband. We never could have imagined that he could have been here for the birth when he is 9,000 miles away fighting a war. This experience means the world to me and my family." The couple, from Easton, have a son Riley who turns three today – a day after the birth of his new sister.
Obstetrician/gynecologist William Riedel, DO, delivered baby Rayana - he said it was the first time he's participated in a teleconferenced birth, although he's delivered babies with dads on cell phones.
Keeping Families Connected
Freedom Calls, a not-for profit organization, built a satellite network to keep families connected when members of the armed forces are stationed in Iraq, because no internet infrastructure exists in Iraq. Going forward, Freedom Calls has arranged for Sgt. Badua to see his family three times a month at their home via video conference. Home video conferencing will come in handy to Robert and Katrina who have been separated for a few months.
"St. Luke's greatly appreciates the work of the Freedom Calls Foundation, and we are honored to take part in the very special moment," said Frank Ford, CEO of St. Luke's Hospital – Allentown Campus. “We believe the birth of a child to be a uniquely special and significant event in the lives of parents, and so we are delighted to make these arrangements so they may be together on this occasion. All of the staff and administrators of St. Luke's hope this videoconference will help provide these new parents with an additional boost of emotional and mental support."
John Harlow, Executive Director of the Freedom Calls Foundation, stated, "The foundation is transforming a long-standing family communication paradigm in time of war by enabling soldiers in the war zone to attend and participate in milestone family events like weddings, first communions and new births. Soldiers may now keep their commitments to their families at the same time they keep their commitment to their country. The long-term vision of the Freedom Calls Foundation is that our war fighters will be able to come home from a day on the battlefield and spend virtual time with their families every night using state-of-the-art technology. The contribution of resources by community citizens like St. Luke's Hospital & Health Network enables the foundation to fulfill its mission."
The Badua family video conferences are being conducted over the satellite network that Freedom Calls has built in cooperation with the army and Marines to serves U.S. deployed military personnel and their families 24 hours per day free of charge. The technology is funded 100% by donations by the American public. The Foundation receives no financial support from the government or the military. Freedom Calls is the 2008 recipient of The Newman's Own Award for the most innovative service that improves the lives of military families.
About Freedom Calls Foundation
The Freedom Calls Foundation is a 501(c)3 Public Charity which has built a satellite network dedicated to providing state of the art video conferencing, telephone and internet services to enable our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan to keep in touch with their families and loved ones at home, free of charge. The Foundation provides services to more than 60,000 soldiers, Marines and airmen free of charge 24 hours per day, including more than 2,000 enterprise class video conferences from homes, hospitals and churches every month. The Army has requested that the foundation install 8 additional facilities in Iraq and 2 in Afghanistan in the coming months. The Foundation is authorized by the Secretary of the Army to provide communications services to the troops and their families and recently received a Commendation from the Army. The Freedom Calls Foundation is supported solely by donations of corporations and the American people on the foundation's website freedomcalls.org. Freedom Calls is the 2008 recipient of The Newman's Own Award for the most innovative charitable service in support of military families.