Mom recalls baby's arrival during 2003 blackout
During the power outage that struck the Northeast and elsewhere in 2003, Linda Ninesling’s husband drove her to Glen Cove Hospital in Glen Cove for a scheduled Caesarean section.
“The nurses were like we’re not going to do this because we don’t have power,” Ninesling, 52, of Glen Cove, recalled.
The hospital was operating with power provided by backup generators on Aug. 15, 2003, the day after the lights went out on Long Island, in New York City, and beyond.
But once Ninesling’s doctor discovered that she was having contractions, the choice to postpone the surgery was no longer an option.
“One way or another I was coming out of that hospital with a baby in my arms,” she said.
A few hours later, at 9:11 a.m., Jessica , who weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounce, came into the world via C-section. Her mother remembered it being very hot in the hospital, and that the air conditioning kicked in right after she gave birth.
“My birthday was always very special to me because it’s my birthday, obviously. But it makes it more special now that it’s kind of like a moment in history that everybody knows about,” said Jessica, who turns 15 on Wednesday.
It’s not known how many babies were born on Long Island during the 2003 blackout, which affected an estimated 50 million people in eight states and Ontario, Canada.
In New York, at least 93 babies entered the world while the city was in darkness, according to the Daily News.
When the electricity went out in her house on the afternoon of Aug. 14, so did the air conditioning, Linda said.
“That night was so hot,” she said. "I just wanted to get this kid out of me.”
While her husband, Lloyd Ninesling, a volunteer firefighter with the Glenwood Landing Fire Department, went to help at the firehouse, Linda was home with their 4-year-old daughter, Nicole.
“I remembered sitting at my kitchen table dealing with the phone calls, not knowing if they were going to let me come in in the morning or not,” she said. “I was going back and forth with the doctor about whether I should come in in the morning.”
Ultimately, her doctor told Linda to keep her Aug. 15 appointment because he believed electricity would be restored by then. Her mother, Jean Scott, came over to baby-sit Nicole, and the Nineslings headed to the hospital.
“I remembered my father was like, 'Are you really doing this today?' ” Linda said.
She did and it all worked out.
To help celebrate her 15th birthday, Jessica invited two best friends to her house for a sleepover. The girls will have dinner and just chill.
Her friends, she said, don’t make a fuss about her being born during a blackout.
“It’s a cool story to tell new people,” said Jessica.
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