Anthony Marchioli is the father of two beautiful girls, Imogin and Athena. Like everyone else he was cooped up in his house and looking for something to do.
“One of my neighbors shouts across the street, ‘I called the rental place. I want to get one of those tractors and start digging people out."
He and his neighbor were focused on others.
“And it just stuck with me that has to happen I’m bored out of my mind; I need to get out of the house,” he said.
It is the City of Good Neighbors and his spirit shows through. He walked three miles to a friend’s house to get a ride to Home Depot, rent the tractor and drive it home. But when he got close to his house, he didn’t know there would be a surprise waiting for him.
“Coming down Cumberland, had a little trail going two houses from mine, look up there's my wife in the middle of the street, ‘What are you doing? You're insanely pregnant? Why are you even out of the house?’”
She answered:
“’My water broke!’ You've got to be kidding me. She said, ‘What are we going to do?’ Only one thing in my mind, my cousin lives three houses down, they're watching the kids, we're getting on the tractor."
His car was buried. He had no choice – he put his wife in the seat of the tractor, put her bags between her legs, grabbed the U-bar of the tractor with one hand, the wheel with the other, and went full speed ahead to the hospital.
Anthony drove to South Buffalo Mercy Hospital in whiteout conditions. He wore goggles while she went into labor. Loxley Storm Marchioli was born 11 hours later.
She joins her 4-year-old and 2-year-old sisters and a dad who just wants to continue to raise his daughters right and teach them about being from the City of Good Neighbors.
“Insane turn of events. I was just trying to keep myself occupied during the storm and help some neighbors out, stay active, and baby decides to come early in the middle of the blizzard. Unbelievable."
After visiting his wife and playing with his daughters, he continued helping to dig his neighbors out on Friday. He still has yet to get his own car dug out.
