Police officer reunites in Moncton with woman he helped deliver 52 years ago

A Moncton nurse was able to return a favour 52 years later to a former police officer from Edmonton in a twist of fate.

Gordon Cameron helped deliver Terri Ward in 1962 and last week, Ward was able to be with Cameron at a time of need.

Cameron, 81, ran into medical trouble while attending the funeral for the three RCMP officers in Moncton, N.B. last week.

When he was wheeled into the hospital, Ward — now a nurse in Moncton — was there to greet the man who helped bring her into the world 52 years earlier.

“It was neat how this went full circle, like it was meant to be,” said Ward.

“He met me at the hospital and helped me, because apparently he helped deliver me... and I was able to be here for him when his family was so far away. It was kind of like karma.”

Cameron remembers the day he met Ward. It’s one of his fondest memories from his long career as an Edmonton police officer.

It was his first time on patrol car duty and he ended up chasing down a speeding car that was flying in the direction of the hospital. When the vehicle finally screeched to a halt, a man leaped out saying his wife was in the back seat having a baby.

While the man ran to the hospital to get help, Cameron stayed with the woman.

“I opened up the back door and I heard this lady, laying on her back and saying, ‘don’t just stand there, hand me my baby,’” recalls Cameron.

Eventually, the woman and her baby were brought into the hospital and Cameron returned to work. He spent the next five decades wondering about that baby.

“The years went by and I often wondered how the baby was,” Cameron said. He admits he wasn’t sure whether it was a boy or girl.

“I never really knew and I wanted to know where it was, what it was, who it was.”

The mystery was solved two years ago, but the pair had never met in person — until last week.

Cameron travelled to Moncton, N.B. to attend the funeral of the three RCMP officers shot by a lone gunman on June 4.

While he was there to honour his fallen comrades, he hoped to finally meet Ward.

“It was an opportunity to put two and two together,” said Cameron.

The long march and frequent standing during the funeral proved to be too much for the 81-year-old and he had to be rushed to hospital.

Ward met Cameron at the hospital and stuck around his bedside while he recovered.

“First thing she got to me said, ‘don’t worry. I’ll be checking on you making sure everything is okay,’” said Cameron.

“I was able to be with him as he was with me 52 years ago,” said Ward. “It gave us extra time to really get to know each other, it was quite nice.”

Cameron has since recovered and returned home to Edmonton.

“It’s full circle,” said Cameron. “To think, 52 years later, here are now. From that little incident [the decision I made] to chase the car I caught speeding and never give them a ticket. There’s no doubt about that, we’re family.”