Heavy snowfall couldn't stop a Halifax father from traveling to see his new son

Heavy snow in Nova Scotia last week didn't stop new dad Drew Mancini from traveling across the country to meet his son.

Baby Maximus was due for Valentine's Day. But Mancini's partner Kaleigh Cochrane went into labor on Saturday, February 3. Mancini, who lives in Halifax but drives a company truck to Calgary, was flying home to reach Cochrane.

“I don't really stress about running my own business. I'm in the trucking business, and my plans change a lot and things move fast. So I thought I'd work on anything,” Mancini told CBC News. on Friday.

In Halifax, Cochrane said it was very emotional to give birth without Mancini.

“It was crazy,” he said.

Cochrane said she started experiencing cramps on Saturday.

Problems at the airport

“I thought it was just Braxton Hicks (contractions), but then it got progressively worse throughout the day,” she said. “And then later in the evening I was like, 'Okay mom, we've got to go.' My mother took me to the hospital and it turned out that I was one centimeter dilated. Then they made me walk inside the building, and then it got worse every hour.”

Maximus arrived at 12:01 on Sunday. Cochrane said the mother stayed with the baby while he was taken to the neonatal intensive care unit. His hands, feet, and mouth were bruised, and then he turned yellow.

In Calgary, Mancini was able to get a flight to Halifax with a stop in Toronto, but due to snow in Nova Scotia, Halifax passengers were not allowed to board the plane.

“They kicked us all out,” Mancini said.

Mancini said he was able to convince the airline to allow him to fly to Toronto.

“I have everything planned, starting with landing in Toronto and driving the rest of the way for 15 hours,” he said.

An airline representative arrives

Once in Toronto, Mancini's mother – who lives an hour and 45 minutes from Toronto – found him a flight to Fredericton. He went to Pearson International Airport, changed clothes for Manisini, and dropped him off at Billy Bishop Airport in hopes of getting a ticket for that flight.

“I went in and spoke to a very helpful Porter (Airlines) representative, and he said there was nothing he could do. But he made a few phone calls and did what he could, and then he gave me my boarding pass,” Mancini said. .

“I didn't have to pay anything extra for it … he said, 'Here, good luck.' I hopped on a flight and landed in Fredericton.”

It landed in Fredericton on Sunday at 8:00 p.m. He said he asked “a nice guy who rents a car at Avis” to give him the best four-to-four.

“He gave me a nice Jeep Cherokee and I drove for the next five hours in a snowstorm and got to the hospital around 3 in the morning. “I was very alert for two days that this happened,” Mancini said. .

Mancini said that driving in the snow is not too scary for him. In fact, he may be uniquely qualified to create this drive.

Walking in the snow

“I've been in the military for a few years and I also have 10 years of experience hauling heavy commercial freight with two trailers. They call them B trains. So I have a lot of experience in bad weather,” he said.

Mancini said he wouldn't risk driving a normal car.

“There were a lot of people in the ditch, a lot going on, but I just wanted to move,” he said. “I knew I wanted to be there no matter what, so I wouldn't be in a minute.”

Baby 'very strong' and 'very happy'

Cochrane said Mancini took a lot of stress off his shoulders after his arrival.

“It was amazing,” he said.

Since his arrival, Mancini has been with his son so Cochrane can rest.

The family was released from the hospital on Friday. Baby Maximus is doing well.

“He's very strong and he's very happy. He's here with his eyes open,” Mancini said.