CASPER, Wyo. (Feb. 4, 2026) – In a dramatic turn of events that proved timing is everything, Skylar and Kaleb Clayson of Glenrock welcomed their second son, Oliver, in a gas station parking lot in Casper on Monday – his due date.
What began as a routine trip to Banner Wyoming Medical Center in Casper became an unforgettable birth story when Skylar's water broke on the interstate, approximately halfway between Glenrock and Casper. Within minutes of pulling off the highway, Oliver decided he couldn't wait any longer.
"We were just pulling off the interstate when I was feeling his head," Skylar said. Kaleb called 911 at 6:40 a.m., and baby Oliver arrived about one minute later at approximately 6:41 a.m.
The fire department was the first to respond to the call and Banner Wyoming Medical Center paramedics Nicole Hodges and Randy Pickett responded within minutes to care for the newborn and his mother. For Hodges, a paramedic with approximately seven years of experience, this was her first field delivery.
"This is definitely not what school prepares you for," she said. “But we had so many hands there to help.”
Pickett, who estimates he has witnessed 20 to 30 field births during his 30-year career as a paramedic, was especially pleased with the outcome.
"It was a good call all the way around," he said. "Everyone knew their role."
The couple's 2-year-old son, Malakai, witnessed the entire event from the back seat.
"I think he was looking more at the fire trucks than he was looking at me," Skylar said with a laugh. “It was just crazy.”
Mom and baby were transported to Banner Wyoming Medical Center by ambulance and admitted at 6:50 a.m., where both were doing well. Oliver weighed in at a healthy 7 pounds, 6 ounces.
Skylar had been experiencing contractions for weeks and had even visited the hospital the night before, but her intermittent contractions sent her home to wait. She woke Kaleb around 5 a.m. when contractions intensified, and the family quickly prepared for what they thought would be a routine hospital delivery.
"I had a feeling that he would be born on his due date," Skylar shared. "I kept seeing the time 2:22, stuff like that."
The family was fortunate that Wyoming's notoriously harsh winter weather cooperated.
"I'm just so glad it wasn't snowing like it normally would be," Skylar said. "We were going pretty fast."
Family members who had planned to meet them at Banner Wyoming Medical Center ended up rendezvousing at a gas station instead to care for young Malakai during the excitement.
Banner Wyoming Medical Center congratulates this sweet family of four on their newest addition and commends the quick response of local emergency services.
About Banner Wyoming Medical Center
Banner Wyoming Medical Center in Casper, Wyo., is part of Banner Health and is Wyoming's largest hospital with 249 beds on two campuses. It is one of Wyoming's most comprehensive hospitals and offers a range of inpatient and outpatient services including emergency services, Level II trauma care, heart care, women and infant services, neurological care and more. It is Casper's only full-service, non-profit hospital. Banner Health is one of the largest secular nonprofit health care systems in the country. Headquartered in Arizona, Banner Health has locations in California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming. For more information, visit bannerhealth.com/wymc.
Captions
Claysons1.jpg: Kaleb and Skylar Clayson in their room at Banner Wyoming Medical Center on Tuesday, Feb. 3. The couple’s second son was born in the car on the way to the hospital the day before.
Claysons2.jpg: Oliver Clayson was born in his parents’ car just a few blocks from Banner Wyoming Medical Center on Feb. 2.
Claysons3.jpg: Oliver Clayson weighed in at 7 pounds, 6 ounces.
For further information contact us at: [email protected]
