How was Katie Stricker Curtis of Winsdor, Ontario going to get through one of the most painful moments of her life?
With laughter and being silly. That’s why Curtis decided to put on a Chewbacca mask while in the throes of labor
“That mask makes me laugh so hard, it makes me so happy inside,” she told Inside Edition. “I was in pain and was like, ‘Now is the time.'”
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A 10-second video clip of Curtis, a medical assistant, wearing the “roaring” mask while having some painful contractions ended up going viral.
“Just because I’m about to be a mom doesn’t mean I have to grow up! Bwahahahahs never take life too seriously! Best Christmas gift ever!” she wrote in the video’s capation.
The video has been viewed more than 856,000 times.
That’s how she ended up being dubbed “the new Chewbacca mom.”
You remember Candace Payne, the mom who went viral wearing the mask in her car after buying it at Kohl’s and laughing hysterically.
Curtis is actually a big fan of that video.
“I had seen the original Chewbacca video over the summer and thought it was so funny!” Curtis told TODAY. “I watched it over and over and laughed and laughed!”
She laughed at it so much that her brother got her one to keep her laughing through labor.
“My brother got me the mask for Christmas as a joke, hoping I would laugh my way into labor. So I thought it would be funny if I wore the mask during part of my labor,” Curtis explained.
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Curtis was in her third hour of labor at Windsor Regional Hospital when she busted out the mask.
The mask then transformed Curtis’ moans of pains from contractions into Chewbacca cries.
Curtis wasn’t the only one laughing. The hospital’s staff got a kick out of it too.
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“My doctor and all the nurses thought it was absolutely hilarious!” she said.
The video was originally just meant for Curtis’ brother.
She didn’t plan on sharing it with the world. Her husband Scott had originally just sent it to Curtis’ brother after it was taken.
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But eventually, she gave in after her friends kept telling her how hysterical it was.
“One of my friends asked if she could make it public so she could share it and that’s when it took off!” she said.
Curtis quickly became the internet’s newest viral star.
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And this came as no surprise to Curtis’ family and friends. She’s “always a goofball” and “the class clown.” In fact, these are some of Curtis’ best characteristics.
“I hope I never lose my sense of humor,” she said. “It’s one of my best qualities.”
And, of course, there’s a downside t0 internet fame. There’s always some miserable entity on the internet who has to say something negative to say, even when it’s a beautiful and happy video like this.
“I try not to read the comments because there are always people out there with a lack of personality and sense of humor that have nothing but negative things to say,” she said.
Some of these people were saying she was just trying to copy the original “Chewbacca Mom’s” video.
“If I was trying to copy someone don’t you think I would have done more than a 10 second phone video?” Curtis explains. “Seriously. Also I’m pretty sure no one can top the original Chewbacca Mom! Seriously that video was amazing! Her laugh was so contagious!”
And even if she was, who cares?! The more stuff to laugh at the merrier.
But these haters don’t bother Curtis one bit. She’s just pleased that the arrival of her daughter and first child, Jayden Lee, was a joyful one thanks to that Chewbacca mask. Learn more about Curtis’ story and see the video below.
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