PREACHER'S DAUGHTER FROM TRINIDAD DELIVERS ROYAL BABY

One of the two senior midwives who assisted in the royal birth is Arona Ahmed formerly Mohammed of Point D’or La Brea. She is the daughter of Kenneth and Ena Mohammed. Mohammed is the evangelist of the Point Fortin Church of Christ located at Bryce Road in Point Fortin.

This is the second royal birth that Arona has assisted in. She cannot be interviewed however as she had to sign a confidentiality agreement as part of the handpicked team involved in the preparation and delivery of the royal birth.

Two years ago Arona was part of the team that delivered Prince George at St Mary’s Hospital, West London.

Her family recalled that she was sworn to secrecy and they were unaware that she was part of a team overseeing the birth of Prince George until after he was born. They found out quite accidentally while looking at television and saw her on CNN walking out of the St Mary’s hospital in West London behind the royal couple. She later confided to her parents that she was bound by confidentiality and could not tell anyone what she was involved in for security reasons.

Arona, 44, migrated to England when she was just 17 to study nursing. She started at the North Middlesex Hospital in Central London and worked her way up to senior midwife. She is married and has two children.

Her parents recalled over a year ago while on a visit to her La Brea home she told them the delivery of the Prince was the high point of her career. They related how on her first visit to Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William asked her if she wanted something to drink and she was so nervous that she said “no”. They said by the second visit she accepted some water to drink. She told them she was shocked at how down to earth they are. She had also related to her family how on one of her visits back then to the royal couple she was invited to meet Queen Elizabeth and was so nervous that she began to perspire profusely. She said the Queen soon put her at ease.

Speaking after services at the church building in Point Fortin yesterday, Arona’s parents said they were overjoyed at the role played by their daughter in the royal birth. An obviously pleased Mohammed said. “We never expected that as a nurse she would one day deliver the royal baby. God does things beyond our imagination,” the proud father said. Her mother, Ena described her as a “loving and caring person”. She said her childhood dream was to become a nurse to take care of people.”

Prayers were offered for Arona earlier at the church services thanking God for the success of the delivery and for her continued well-being. Several church members expressed surprise that their “own Rona” was involved in the delivery of the royal birth. Another member expressed the view that it is important to “train your children well as you never know what role they would be called upon to play in life.

Sunday’s Daily Mail newspaper in England described Arona and her boss Jacqui Dunkley -Bent, Professor of midwifery at Imperial College, Healthcare NHS Trust who together delivered the princess as the “unsung heroines of the Royal birth”.

The newspaper quoted un-named hospital insiders who told them that the professor, 51, had struck up a close rapport with the Duchess of Cambridge when she delivered Prince George two years ago at St Mary’s Hospital, West London.

The newspaper claimed that the duchess met with the two midwives while the team of suited male surgeons, led by Mr Guy Thorpe-Beeston, Surgeon Gynaecologist to the Royal Household, looked on.

The daily Mail reported that “Kate had a meticulous birth plan. She had opted to be seen first by the midwives” and got her wish.

So while the male doctors waited in a nearby room, the Daily Mail reported, it was the red-uniformed midwives – the colour denotes their seniority – who monitored Kate as her contractions progressed and supported Prince William. “Both women are experienced, unflappable and have the full confidence of the obstetricians.

“It is understood a team of three midwives has been on standby for more than a month to cover three shifts over a 24-hour period should Kate have been admitted early.

“By establishing a specific team for the Royal birth, Kate and William ensured that the care of other patients, NHS or private, was not affected or disrupted.

“Given the speed of Kate’s delivery – just 154 minutes after being admitted to the hospital – it is likely she was in labour at home for some hours before feeling the need to be with her medical team, “the newspaper stated.