Cobblestone Farms Welcomes New Arrival: Baby Boy Born on SR 347!

In an extraordinary event that will be remembered in Maricopa, a family experienced a dramatic roadside birth on State Route 347. Shelby and Thomas Vuja welcomed their son, Caden, just after midnight on January 10, marking a significant moment for them and the community.

The circumstances surrounding Caden’s arrival were anything but typical. Shelby, suffering from the flu and facing a breach delivery, began experiencing contractions well ahead of her due date. “Within 10 minutes in the car, woosh, all the water came out right there in the front seat of the vehicle,” she recounted during an interview with 12 News.

As the couple drove along the highway towards a hospital, they found themselves on the phone with a 911 dispatcher. The moment was tense; they encountered difficulties in getting Caden to breathe in his first seconds of life. Fortunately, an ambulance arrived to transport mother and baby to a metro Phoenix hospital, where they both received immediate care in the ICU and NICU units.

After an anxious journey, Shelby returned home on January 19, while baby Caden joined the family on February 1—remarkably, the same day that marked his original due date. “He is home and healthy,” Shelby expressed, relief evident in her voice. “I’m so glad we’re all here.”

This was not the first instance of a baby being born on State Route 347. In 2013, a baby girl was born near Casa Blanca Road, and another infant arrived on an overpass bridge leading to Interstate 10 in 2019. Currently, the medical facilities in Maricopa do not have a dedicated obstetric delivery service. However, AnnaMarie Knorr, the director of public affairs at Exceptional Community Hospital, mentioned that the facility is equipped to handle deliveries in emergencies.