'Absolute miracle': Woman didn't know she was pregnant, has baby at Burning Man

A woman who did not know she was pregnant went into labor and delivered a baby girl at the week-long Burning Man festival in Nevada.

Key Takeaways:

• Kayla Thompson and her husband, Kasey, were at Burning Man on August 27 when she unexpectedly went into labor.

• She had no idea she was pregnant and gave birth to a premature baby girl with the help of medical staff who happened to be staying near the couple's RV.

• Baby girl Aurora weighed about three and a half pounds and was taken by helicopter to the hospital, where she remains in the NICU, but is doing well.

• The baby's father called her birth "an absolute miracle."

The Details:

Kayla Thompson and her husband, Kasey, were at Burning Man in Black Rock City, Nevada, when Kayla woke up in pain on Wednesday morning. According to reports, she thought she might be suffering from appendicitis or food poisoning, but she was actually giving birth to a baby she didn't know she was expecting.

"I just started yelling for anyone to come help me," Kasey, 39, told The Los Angeles Times. "In a matter of minutes, we had an [obstetrician], a NICU nurse, a pediatrician in there — I don't know where they all came from, they just came." He called his daughter's birth "an absolute miracle."

He told the SF Gate, “It was the scariest moment of my life, also the most magical, like just seeing the people just come together, complete strangers, just coming to our rescue.”

The weather at the festival included dust storms and heavy rain that knocked over tents, turned the dirt to mud, and shut entry gates for a short time. Amid the muddy mess, the OB/Gyn ran so quickly to help them that he was still in his underwear. Kasey recalled the doctor asking for scissors to cut the umbilical cord. When they couldn't find any, the OB/GYN said, "We need string right now."

As they used that to cut the cord, Maureen O’Reilly, a neonatal nurse, entered the RV, removing plastic bags from her feet, which she had used to get through the mud from her camp next to the couple's. She held the baby girl against her stomach for warmth and assessed her. "The hardest part was knowing, as a nurse, what can go wrong," she said. "Having no resources was frightening."

A tough decision

Ambulances could not make it to the new family, so the Black Rock Rangers — volunteers — drove in with an SUV and a medical team. The baby girl was taken to a medical tent with the new parents and OB/GYN following behind in a pickup truck. At the tent, they were told the baby would be airlifted to a hospital, but there was only enough room for her. There was another patient who needed to get on the helicopter, a festival goer who had suffered a stroke. Kayla had to ride in an ambulance, and Kasey was told he could either go with his wife or wait with the baby for the helicopter and leave for the hospital after.

"That was the hardest decision of my life," he told the NYT in tears. He chose to go with his wife.

“The medical staff at Burning Man grabbed me and just hugged me and said he’s not going to let [the baby] out of sight,” Kasey added. “He kept reassuring me she’s going to be OK.”

When they arrived at the hospital after an over three-hour drive, Kayla received treatment, and Kasey raced to the NICU to see his daughter. "She was safe and sound, and I was so thrilled," he said.

Although they considered names such as Stormy, Sandy, and Rainy, they ultimately chose the name Aurora.

“She was born at dawn, and she lights up the sky, and she’s going to be a special little girl,” Kasey said. “So I feel like the name Aurora is very fitting for her.”

A cryptic pregnancy and unexpected parenthood

Although Aurora is reportedly doing well, she will stay in the NICU "until she is ready to come home." The hospital is far from the family's home in Salt Lake City, and the couple is staying in a hotel in Reno.

Kasey noted, "It was absoutely 100% a cryptic pregnancy. No signs, no morning sickness. She wasn't even showing." Aurora is the couple's first child, and they are completely unprepared.

On a GoFundMe page set up for the new parents, Kasey's sister explained, "On Wednesday, August 27th, our family was blessed with the surprise arrival of a beautiful baby girl. My brother and his wife had no idea they were expecting, and their little one made her dramatic entrance while they were out of state at Burning Man."

They are not sharing photos of the baby girl, but said "she is safe, beautiful, and deeply loved."

Kasey said that had he known about the pregnancy, Burning Man was "the absolutely last place on this planet I would have been."

Following news of Aurora's birth, Burning Man Project, the organization behind the festival, released a statement: "In the midst of wind, heat, and storms, they brought new life into the world in Black Rock City. Of all the things we celebrate at Burning Man, bringing life, connection, transformation, and joy are dearest to our hearts."

The Bottom Line:

Every life is precious, including those who are unplanned or unexpected. Babies born as young as 21 weeks gestation have survived with medical assistance. Babies born at 27 weeks have a 91% chance of survival, and by 36 weeks they have an overall 95% chance of survival. Yet, in nine states and Washington, D.C., abortion is completely legal for any reason at that point and up to birth.

Go Deeper:

Cryptic pregnancies are rare, but Thompson is not alone. Read the stories below:

Officer helps mom who didn’t know she was pregnant and gave birth in the shower

Babies, not abortion, led these women to ‘happiness all around’