11-year-old boy helps deliver baby brother at home

Channel 2's Berndt Petersen reports.

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — An 11-year-old Marietta boy delivered his baby brother with help from a 911 dispatcher.

Kenyarda Dukes says she and her son, James, were at home Tuesday morning when she knew it was time.

“I was screaming and my son ran in the room. ‘Mom, are you OK?’ I’m like, ‘Nooo!’” Dukes recalled.

Her baby was coming and the only doctor in the house turned out to be her son.

“I called 911. They told me what to do. To get towels and wrap the baby up,” he said.

James did just that, welcoming his new brother, Royal Dukes, into the world weighing 6 pounds, 9 ounces.

“Words can’t express how proud I am. He is the epitome of when you tell your son that ‘you’re the man of the house so you have to take care of those responsibilities,’ and he did it to a ‘T,’” the boys’ father said.

James says he just did what he had to do.

Mother and baby are fine and now resting comfortably in the hospital.

“My son was brave. He didn’t shake. He didn’t budge. I was like, ‘Oh my God! Somebody help me.’ He did a wonderful job and I’m proud of him,” Kenyarda Dukes said.

Dr. Eric Brown was supposed to deliver the baby, but it was James who ended up practicing the emergency medicine.

“I’ve never heard of anything like this. I think James is very special,” Brown said. “The baby is doing fantastic. As you can see, his young doctor is taking very good care of him.”

James says he now wants to be a doctor when he grows up.

“I don’t like people hurting or down or anything. So I want to fix them and help them,” he said.

“I’m anticipating James to spend some time with me at the office, and we’ll help James make his dream come true to be a physician,” Brown said.

Kenyarda and baby Royal will head home from the hospital Thursday.