Dallas ISD Teacher Helps Pregnant Mom Deliver Baby

Loren Carcamo arrived at Kleberg Elementary School ready to pick up her daughter when an unexpected surprise happened– her water broke.

Kleberg’s nurse did not have experience in delivering a child, but she knew the perfect person who did.

Fifth-grade bilingual teacher, Maria Perez Caraballo, was a doctor in an obstetrics and gynecology department in Venezuela before she moved to the United States to become a teacher.

After performing an exam, Caraballo realized that Carcamo was not going to make it to the hospital on time so she stayed with her as she pushed through the contractions until the baby was delivered.

“The baby was born, and about 10 seconds later, she started to cry really loudly,” Perez Caraballo said. “It was really nice. I’m glad that it is a happy story.”

Shortly after delivering the baby, the paramedics arrived and took Carcamo and her new daughter, Leire Carmcamo, safely to the hospital.

In January, Carcamo happily returned to Kleberg Elementary School, along with her newborn, to reunite with Perez Caraballo and take a photo together.

“I’m going to treasure this,” Perez Caraballo said. “I came to this country, and I studied a lot to become a teacher, so it was like I said goodbye to those days in medicine. It was really amazing. I feel really happy to have had one more experience in this science area that I worked a lot in.”

Perez Caraballo is being celebrated by the Kleberg community for her immediate response to the situation. Principal Amy Zbylut says she is thankful for the support that Perez Caraballo gives to her students and the Kleberg community.

“Ms. Perez goes beyond her classroom to support campus-wide initiatives and the community,” Zbylut said. “As our debate team sponsor, she trains our students in public speaking, grace under pressure and critical thinking. She assists our campus with our diabetic students when the nurse is off campus, she assists with translating during parent meetings to create an inclusive environment and she participates in campus-wide community engagement events that strengthen school-community relationships.”

The Dallas Morning News contributed to this report.