Cherry Hill woman helps daughter deliver baby in a car just hours after her own mother died

CHERRY HILL, N.J. (WPVI) -- At just 6.5 lbs, baby Noah couldn't wait and arrived nearly 2 weeks early.

"Just still can't believe he's here and everything happened the way it did, but just very thankful," said Alysa West, Noah's mother.

But was it coincidence or fate?

Alysa said her lunch was cut short at her mother's house in Cherry Hill, New Jersey on February 25 when suddenly she had a contraction.

"We hopped in the car, drove halfway down the street, and she started screaming 'Mom, my water just broke,'" said Elissa Danielle West, Alysa's mother.

Elissa quickly parked in a lot on the corner of Route 70 and Kingston Drive because she didn't think they would make it to Cooper Hospital in Camden.

"I jumped out of the car. 911 says, 'Do you see anything? I said yeah I can see the head.' Within seconds, the top of the baby's head popped out, and a couple seconds later, I just said, 'Give me a little push,' and out he came, and I caught him," said Elissa. "I'm like the MVP. I'm no hero," said laughed.

"You don't think you can handle something like that, but when you're in the situation and you have to, you'd be surprised what you can do," said Alysa.

They also praised the paramedics from Virtua Health and Cherry Hill for their response.

"Most paramedics have delivered a baby or two in their career, often in unusual places and situations. In this case, the baby had arrived minutes before we reached the scene and was in good health. I applaud Danielle for her quick thinking and composure. It's a remarkable story with a happy outcome," said Ryan Kelly, who is one of the Virtua Health paramedics.

"It almost brings me to tears because they were just so good to us," said Elissa.

It happened on a day the West family needed it the most. That same morning, Danielle learned her mother, Elissa Marie Minessale, passed away after battling leukemia.

"It was very sad about my mother, but I think that this baby was sent as a distraction because he certainly distracted all of us from our day. He's beautiful," said Elissa.

Alysa chose the name Noah because it means comfort.

"When he came out, he was just so calm, and he really was that comfort and calming that we needed as a family, and we can heal," said Alysa.

Now this family faced with grief and gratitude as they mourn a great loss and welcome a beautiful blessing.

"My mother loved holding babies, and unfortunately she won't get to hold this one, but she's there," said Elissa.

"She would be elated, and I know she's looking down right now just so excited for me," said Alysa.

Alyssa and Noah are expected to go home on Saturday.

The family is still in the process of planning the funeral, but it will be on March 8 - which was Noah's due date.