What was supposed to be a second trip to hospital became a birth story Katie Murphy and Stephen Kirby are unlikely to forget. On August 29, 2026, the couple were making another attempt to reach hospital after Murphy’s contractions became stronger, but their journey took an unexpected turn before they could complete the roughly 30-minute drive.

Instead of reaching the maternity ward, the couple found themselves pulling into a familiar KFC car park in Bromsgrove, England. Within minutes, their baby boy Cody had arrived, giving the restaurant an unforgettable connection to the family and inspiring a nickname that may follow him for years.

Katie Murphy had already been sent home from hospital

Murphy, 33, and Kirby, 32, were already expecting that August 29 might be an important day. The couple, who also have a four-year-old daughter, had visited hospital earlier in the day after Murphy began experiencing contractions.

However, at around 4 p.m., they were sent home after being told it was still too early for the baby to arrive.

For several hours, the situation appeared to remain manageable. Murphy continued experiencing contractions throughout the evening, but eventually the couple realized that things had changed.

At around 9 p.m., they decided it was time to head back to hospital.

Kirby, who works as a fridge engineer, got behind the wheel and began driving Murphy toward the hospital. They expected to have enough time to complete the journey, but Cody had other plans.

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The journey suddenly became an emergency

The couple were travelling along the A38 when Murphy realized that the birth was happening much sooner than expected.

Kirby later recalled the moment when Murphy told him what she was feeling.

“Katie said she could feel something and knew the baby was coming.”

While Kirby was speaking with emergency services, he needed to explain exactly where they were. The problem was that there was nowhere suitable for the couple to stop along the stretch of road they were travelling.

Then Kirby spotted somewhere familiar.

The couple regularly visited a KFC in Bromsgrove, and its car park provided a practical place to pull over while the emergency call was still underway.

Kirby turned into the restaurant’s car park.

The situation was now moving extremely quickly.

Murphy later described the final moments of the journey, saying:

“As we turned into the car park, I could feel the baby’s head coming out.”

Once Kirby had parked, he immediately ran around to Murphy’s side of the vehicle.

He then caught his son as Cody was born.

Baby Cody was born in the KFC car park at 9:35 p.m.

Cody arrived at 9:35 p.m. on August 29, 2026, before paramedics had reached the couple.

According to the family’s account reported by SWNS and subsequently carried by several outlets, the newborn was healthy and weighed 7lb 8oz.

The ambulance arrived about five minutes after the birth and took the family to hospital.

For Murphy and Kirby, the KFC car park had never been part of the plan. They had simply been trying to get Murphy back to hospital after her contractions intensified.

The restaurant became the stopping point because it was a familiar and identifiable location along their route when the delivery suddenly progressed.

More Curious Discoveries: Unplanned, extraordinary arrivals aren’t limited to the maternity ward. For a fun change of pace, read our story on the two-headed turtle hatchling found on Cape Cod, a rare diamond-backed terrapin now under expert watch.

The timeline of Cody’s unexpected arrival

Time/Date	Event	Details
August 29, 2026	First hospital visit	Murphy went to hospital after experiencing contractions
Around 4 p.m.	Sent home	Medical staff said it was still too early for the baby to arrive
Several hours later	Contractions intensified	Murphy continued experiencing contractions at home
Around 9 p.m.	Second journey to hospital	Murphy and Kirby set off again
During A38 journey	Birth became imminent	Murphy realized Cody was coming
Shortly afterward	KFC car park stop	Kirby pulled into their regular KFC in Bromsgrove
9:35 p.m.	Cody was born	Kirby caught his son beside the vehicle
About five minutes later	Paramedics arrived	The family was taken to hospital

Why the newborn became known as ‘Colonel Cody’

The location of Cody’s birth quickly gave the family an idea for a nickname.

Because he had entered the world in a KFC car park, the newborn became known as “Colonel Cody,” a playful reference to Colonel Harland Sanders, the historical figure most closely associated with KFC.

Murphy believes the nickname could stick with her son for a very long time.

“We call him Colonel Cody and I think that nickname will definitely stick with him for life,” she said.

It has already become more than just a joke within the family.

The couple have even decided that Cody’s unusual connection with KFC should become part of his future birthday celebrations.

Murphy said:

“It was decided that we have to take him to KFC for his first birthday and get him his first weekend job there.”

The idea turns the place where Cody unexpectedly arrived into a location the family now plans to revisit for a much happier and more planned occasion.

Cody’s unusual birth became a talking point at the hospital

After the unexpected delivery, the story also became memorable for the midwifery staff who cared for the family.

Murphy said the circumstances had made the family something of a talking point among staff.

“We were famous among the midwifery staff and they even ordered KFC for dinner.”

That detail added another layer to a story that had already gone from an ordinary hospital trip to an emergency delivery in a restaurant car park.

The family had originally been told earlier that day that it was too soon for the baby to arrive. Hours later, Cody had arrived somewhere entirely different from where his parents had expected him to be born.

KFC responds after hearing about ‘Colonel Cody’

The story eventually reached KFC itself, and the restaurant chain embraced the unusual connection.

A KFC spokesperson said the company was “honored to have been the place of Cody’s birth” and said it would send the family KFC merchandise and vouchers.

The company also said:

“We can’t wait to welcome them back for a meal to mark the occasion.”

That response means the Bromsgrove restaurant is now connected to Cody’s story in more than one way.

It was the place where his parents stopped when they could no longer safely continue their journey to hospital, and KFC has now offered the family a reason to return together for a future celebration.

Murphy says the birth happened incredibly quickly

Despite the unusual setting, Murphy said the most important outcome was that Cody was healthy and doing well.

Looking back at the frantic sequence of events, she described how quickly everything happened.

“It all happened so fast. Thankfully, the ambulance was with us about five minutes later and took us to hospital.”

She also described Cody as being in perfect health despite being born in his father’s car.

The circumstances were certainly far removed from what the couple had expected when they first went to hospital earlier that day.

They had initially been sent home because staff believed it was still too early for the birth. When they set off again several hours later, their goal was simply to reach hospital.

Instead, the birth progressed during the drive.

The KFC car park became the practical stopping point while Kirby was communicating with emergency services, and he ultimately caught Cody himself before paramedics arrived.

The KFC connection was never part of the original plan

One of the clearest details in the family’s account is that the KFC was not chosen as a planned birthplace.

Murphy and Kirby were trying to reach hospital when the situation changed.

They were travelling along the A38 and needed somewhere suitable to stop. Kirby recognized the KFC they regularly visited in Bromsgrove and pulled into its car park while the emergency call continued.

That distinction matters because the restaurant connection came entirely from the timing of Cody’s arrival.

There was no plan for the baby to be born at KFC. The couple were simply faced with a rapidly progressing delivery and needed somewhere to stop.

Within moments, their familiar restaurant had become the setting for their son’s birth.

A birthday tradition was already being planned

The family’s plans for Cody’s first birthday show how quickly the unexpected event has become part of their family story.

Rather than treating the KFC car park simply as the location of a stressful emergency, Murphy and Kirby have already joked about bringing Cody back to KFC when he turns one.

Their plan is to return to the restaurant for his first birthday and, as Murphy joked, get him his first weekend job there.

For now, however, Cody’s arrival has already given his family a story that is difficult to forget.

He was born at 9:35 p.m. on August 29, weighed 7lb 8oz and was reported to be healthy. His father caught him as he was born, and paramedics arrived about five minutes later to take the family to hospital.

And because all of it happened at a KFC, Cody quickly acquired a name that links him permanently to the restaurant chain: “Colonel Cody.”

More Curious Discoveries: Offbeat mysteries with a happy resolution seem to be everywhere lately. Our story on the Maine Bigfoot sighting that sparked a police hunt before the “creature” was finally found has a similarly charming twist ending.

Conclusion: From emergency stop to an unforgettable family story

Katie Murphy and Stephen Kirby began August 29 expecting to make another trip to hospital after Murphy’s contractions became more intense. Instead, their second journey ended at a KFC car park in Bromsgrove, where their son Cody was born at 9:35 p.m.

Kirby caught the baby before paramedics arrived, and the family was taken to hospital about five minutes later. Cody was reported to be healthy and weighed 7lb 8oz.

The unusual birthplace inspired the nickname “Colonel Cody,” while KFC responded by offering the family merchandise and vouchers and inviting them back for a meal. The couple have already decided they plan to return to the same KFC for Cody’s first birthday.

What began as a frantic race to hospital has therefore become an extraordinary family memory, with a familiar KFC car park now permanently attached to the story of how Cody entered the world.

Source and research disclaimer

This article has been prepared from thorough research of the sources provided with the original verified material, including reporting from Fox News, The Sun, Yahoo News/SWNS and AOL UK/SWNS. The article reflects the information and statements available from those sources and the family and KFC accounts provided. It does not imply independent verification beyond the supplied reporting and may be updated if additional information is provided by the family, emergency services or KFC.

Sources

• Fox News: Mom gives birth in KFC parking lot and gives newborn fitting fast-food nickname
• The Sun: I gave birth to my baby boy in a KFC car park
• Yahoo News / SWNS: I gave birth to my baby boy in a KFC car park
• AOL UK / SWNS: Mum says son will be called Colonel for life after she gave birth at KFC

Featured Image Credit:

 Carlos Mazorra on Pexels