Ten days before Dunmore resident Marisa Fediw's baby girl was due, she couldn't think of a reason not to accompany her husband and son to Maryland to see the Washington Redskins host the New York Giants.
They'd made a spontaneous decision to watch the Dec. 3 game in person. With cheap tickets found online and beautiful weather to travel, everything seemed perfect. That is, until Mrs. Fediw arrived at FedExField in Landover, Md.
"As soon as we got there, I started having contractions," Mrs. Fediw said. "I didn't think fate would do that to me."
Mrs. Fediw didn't want to ruin the football experience for her family, so she kept quiet about her surprise. Sitting by her husband, 9-year-old son and mom, who drove from New York, Mrs. Fediw watched quarterback Robert Griffin III and the rest of the Redskins squeeze past Eli Manning and the Giants by a single point to win 17-16.
Sitting through the game, contractions intensified. When the game ended, Mrs. Fediw shared the news.
"I told them we weren't going home," she said.
Unable to make it out of the crowded stadium, the family informed security about Mrs. Fediw going into labor. Soon, she was taken by golf cart to the bottom of the stadium, where an ambulance whisked her to a local hospital.
She didn't have time for medications, an epidural anesthesia or even to put on a hospital gown.
"Literally as soon as they got me in the room, there she was," Mrs. Fediw said.
Mrs. Fediw and her husband, Frank Pons, had a name picked out - Talia Keira-Rayne Fediw. But the Redskins convinced Mrs. Fediw to change her mind.
First, a representative for the football team visited the family at the hospital. Then a red, yellow and white floral arrangement arrived. People with the team even arranged for Mrs. Fediw's son, Marcel, to have a football signed by the star rookie quarterback, commonly known as RG3. The family also received a football with the newborn's name on it.
Even though her husband is a New York Giants fan, Mrs. Fediw said the Redskins' overwhelming attention converted her into a Washington fan. She plans to change young Talia's middle name, replacing "Keira" with "Griffin" to connect her daughter with the Redskins' quarterback.
After leaving the hospital, Mrs. Fediw, her husband and Talia returned to the football stadium where she was almost born. The family took photographs together and bought the infant a baby cheerleader outfit.
Back home in Dunmore, Mrs. Fediw said she looks forward to sharing the story with her daughter when she gets older.
"She'll have quite a story," Mrs. Fediw said. "It's such a memorable day."
Contact the writer: rward@timesshamrock.com, @rwardTT on Twitter