As Tropical Cyclone Alfred bore down on the NSW North Coast in the early hours of Friday morning 7 March, Tweed couple Amber Butler and Ben Chan were about to experience a life-changing moment.
As the storm intensified, the couple lost power to their Tweed Heads West home. Two hours later Amber’s waters broke, setting off a dramatic drive to Tweed Valley Hospital.
Amber described the trip as terrifying.
“We were just thankful to get here. When we were driving, it was chaos: wind and rain, trees across the road,” she said.
Their first baby, Florence, had decided to arrive 10 days early.
The couple arrived at Tweed Valley Hospital at 5am on 7 March, and Florence arrived some 12 hours later, at 5.03pm, weighing 3.665 kg.
In the days before and with Cyclone Alfred hovering off the coast, Amber had been hoping for a bit more time before her baby arrived.
“I was trying to hold her in, but of course, she was ‘no thank you, I’m going to come’.”
Ben said they were fortunate to get to the hospital when they did, as access roads were blocked later that day.
“We wouldn’t have been able to get to the hospital as the M1 motorway was closed a couple of hours later and the only other route had a tree across the road,” he said.
Amber said, “If it was today, I don’t know what we would’ve done.”
Amber and Ben praised the care they received at Tweed Valley Hospital.
“When we arrived, there were staff changeovers as people had to go home, but everyone was just incredible and so kind. The midwives were fantastic,” Amber said.
“The new hospital and birthing site are amazing. Everyone I speak to, I say, ‘I love this place’.”