Burning Man festivalgoers witnessed one of the wildest stories to come out of the Nevada desert this year, as a couple unexpectedly welcomed a baby in their camper.
Kayla Thompson told The New York Times she was asleep beside her husband, Kasey, when sudden waves of pain woke her in the middle of the night. Within minutes, she said, she was in the bathroom delivering their first child, a baby girl weighing 3 pounds, 9 ounces.
The shock wasn’t just the timing. Thompson explained to Today that she had no idea she was even pregnant. I didn’t appear pregnant and “didn’t have any symptoms,” she said, adding that even hospital staff were surprised: “You don’t look like you were pregnant at all.”
Burning Man attendees rush in to help deliver baby
Kasey recalled sprinting outside the R.V. to find help. By sheer chance, a neonatal nurse, a pediatrician, and an OB-GYN were nearby, along with other festival attendees who rushed in before Burning Man medical teams arrived.
Emergency crews eventually transported Kayla and her daughter out of Black Rock City. The newborn was airlifted to Reno, while Kayla was sent by ambulance. Kasey said he was forced to make “the hardest decision of my life,” choosing to stay with his wife rather than fly with the baby.
When the family was reunited at the hospital, their daughter was safe in the NICU. “She was safe and sound, and I was so thrilled,” Kasey said.
Burning Man organizers also acknowledged the viral moment: “In the midst of wind, heat, and storms, they brought new life into the world in Black Rock City. Of all the things we celebrate at Burning Man, bringing life, connection, transformation, and joy are dearest to our hearts.”
