‘I can't wait to tell him this story,' Mecklenburg Co. commissioner on delivering son

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By Blaine Tolison

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Instead of handling agendas and schedules, Mecklenburg County Commissioner Matthew Ridenhour recently handled an unscheduled arrival: the birth of his son Hobson.

"I think got through it with God's grace, I don't know,” Matthew Ridenhour said.

He and his wife Abby shared their incredible story from their hospital room at the Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center.

Abby gave birth to their son in the driveway of their south Charlotte home around 1:30 a.m. Friday.

"It was scary, but at the same time, it just happened so fast,” Abby Ridenhour said.

Abby started having contractions Thursday night. As they started toward the car, the couple realized they were out of time.

"I heard Abby outside screaming, and so I sprinted outside to see what was going on and I saw her lying in the fetal position in pain,” Matthew Ridenhour said.

He called 911 and started delivering his son.

"The 911 operator is trying to walk me through it and I'm like, 'I see the head!' and the operator is trying to give me instructions,” Matthew Ridenhour said.

The situation would normally be extremely frightening for most people, but Ridenhour said he wasn't scared. He said it was his experience as a Marine that helped him stay calm.

"I've been in a lot of stressful situations when I was in Iraq,” Matthew Ridenhour said.

"He was very calm, so I felt more calm than I was probably acting,” Abby Ridenhour said.

When it was all over, Ridenhour was happy to see his wife and new son healthy.

"Wow, what an emotional experience this was, and can't wait to tell him this story until he's tired of hearing it,” Matthew Ridenhour said.

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