In a surprising turn of events, a Conoco gas station in Manhattan, Montana, became the impromptu birthing site for a baby girl named Zoey, weighing in at 6 pounds and 11 ounces. The miraculous delivery unfolded on October 26, turning the ordinary gas station into the backdrop of an extraordinary moment.
Areona Upmeyer, the mother, recounted the dramatic events leading up to Zoey’s arrival. “I felt my water break, and they were like, we have time,” Upmeyer explained. “I said no, we don’t have time — she’s coming.”
The day began with Upmeyer experiencing contractions, prompting a call to her family for a rush to the hospital in Bozeman, a 30-mile journey. However, the journey took an unexpected turn as they neared a small Montana town.
“It started getting more intense,” Areona recalled. “We called 911 and told them to meet us at the Conoco. We got to the four-way stop … did not stop at all … just kept turning,” she added, describing the frantic moments leading to the gas station.
An ambulance swiftly arrived at the scene, and despite the unexpected circumstances, Upmeyer remained remarkably composed. “I was scared, but excited at the same time,” she shared. “It was more like, I just want my kid here and to know she’s healthy.”
Zoey Kaminski made her entrance in the ambulance after just two pushes. Since her birth, she has gained local fame as the “gas station baby,” with Upmeyer expressing gratitude for the warm reception the community has given her newborn.
“They call her the gas station baby, and they absolutely love her,” Areona said, beaming with affection for her daughter.
However, amidst the joy, Upmeyer shared a poignant moment as she longed for Zoey’s father’s presence. He had been in a severe motorcycle accident three months prior and was recuperating in Utah. “I just wish he could’ve been here to see her,” Areona expressed tearfully.
Despite the unexpected circumstances, Upmeyer embraces the unique story of Zoey’s birth. “It didn’t go as planned, but I wouldn’t change it for anything because now she’s here,” she reflected. “She is the best miracle in the last three months I’ve had, so I gotta stay strong for her, and hopefully soon we’ll be able to go see him so he can finally meet his daughter,” she added with hopeful anticipation.
The gas station birth of Zoey Kaminski serves as a testament to the unpredictability of life’s milestones and the resilience of families facing unforeseen challenges.
