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Baby Born On J Train Thankful He's Not Named "Metrocard"
By
Ben Yakas
Published Jun 28, 2012
Modified Jun 28, 2012
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Jun 28, 2012
Modified Jun 28, 2012
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Early Wednesday morning, a little baby boy decided to escape his mother's womb a few days earlier than expected, and subsequently was greeted by the comforting face of Dr. Zizmor upon entering this world. Wanda Dueno gave birth just before 2 a.m. on a J train in lower Manhattan yesterday. The baby is either named Chris or Libasse (or both), but he should just be grateful that neither MTA Chairman John Lhota or his aunt got their way: “You could call him...MetroCard?” Dueno's sister Porcha Banks suggested in the hospital.
“No one was there. I was the only one on the train,” Dueno, who also has a 1-year-old son, told the Post. Dueno was headed to her sister’s home in The Bronx after visiting friends in Queens when the baby started to come—the little one wasn't due until July 1st, but he had other plans. Dueno, who was the only one in the subway car, pushed the emergency button, but by the time conductor Veronica Stevens arrived, the baby was already in her arms.
Stevens said she was ecstatic about her first on-board birth in her two decades on the job. “I had my first ‘train baby,’ ” she exclaimed to the News. Dueno's family were also amazed by the delivery: “She called to say she had the baby on the train. I was like, ‘What! You had the baby on the train? You’re lying,’ ” said Wanda’s mom, Charlotte Mbaye.
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Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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