AUSTIN, TEXAS – A second grader in Austin, Texas, left school Wednesday with three academic awards and a brand-new baby sister.
Carina Soto-Rodriguez and her husband, Andres, were at an awards ceremony at IDEA Bluff Springs because their son Luigiani was being honored for his reading and math, school officials told CNN.
At an appointment that day, her doctor had said the baby probably would come on Saturday.
But when Soto-Rodriguez went to the bathroom at school, within minutes, she gave birth to a girl.
Her husband had called 911 and teachers Amberlynn Balli, Valentina Davalos and Erica Beverly rushed to help.
The dispatcher was asking Andres Soto-Rodriguez questions and giving instructions, so Balli said he asked her to translate.
"I just took the phone and opened the door and approached the stall, and there was mom with the brand-new baby," Balli told CNN.
Beverly and Davalos looked after Carina and the baby, while Balli talked to EMS and looked after Andres and Luigiani.
"None of us thought about it, we just jumped in," Davalos said.
She said the whole delivery couldn't have taken more than 10 minutes.
"She was just in shock, holding the baby," Beverly said. "I was taking care of the mom so that we could make sure they were safe and OK."
The teachers said Luigiani was confused at first, but he's excited about being a brother.
He didn't even miss school the next day.
"That is a huge story to tell his friends," Beverly said.
She said he wants to bring his sister back to school for show and tell.
IDEA Public Schools is a network of 96 public charter schools in Texas and Louisiana that serves students from pre-K through high school.
It promised to give the baby a college scholarship when she graduates from an IDEA school.