When it comes to childbirth, one thing is for sure: you should always expect the unexpected. No matter how carefully you plan, life has a way of surprising you, especially when it comes to welcoming a new baby into the world. Rebecca and Danya Mahota experienced this firsthand when their daughter, Summer, decided to make her entrance in the most unexpected way—right in the middle of their drive to the hospital.
A Routine Drive to The Hospital
It was August 8th, and Rebecca and Danya were ready for their baby’s arrival. It was the due date, after all, and they had everything planned out. As the Cape Cod couple left their home for the hospital, the GPS indicated a 56-minute drive. Little did they know, that would be far too long for their little girl to wait.
“We knew it would be tight getting to the hospital, but we didn’t expect to have to deliver in the car,” Rebecca told WCVB. As the contractions grew stronger and more frequent, it became clear that they weren’t going to make it in time. Just 26 minutes into the drive, with half the journey still ahead of them, Rebecca’s labor progressed at lightning speed.
“One contraction later, he had pulled over to the side of the road, I was already holding her head,” Rebecca recalled. With no time to spare, Danya pulled into a Dunkin’ parking lot, where their daughter, Summer, made her grand entrance into the world.
A Dunkin’ Delivery
In the midst of this whirlwind, paramedics arrived to assist the new parents. Danya was handed a sterilized X-Acto knife and, as he later joked, he did what “every Massachusetts father” would do—he cut his baby’s umbilical cord in the Dunkin’ Donuts parking lot.
The parking lot may not have been the hospital room they had envisioned, but it was the spot where they welcomed their healthy baby girl.
A Missing Ring and a Miraculous Find
Amidst the excitement and chaos, Danya somehow lost his wedding ring. It wasn’t until they were settled at the hospital that they realized it was missing. Determined to find it, Danya and some friends returned to the parking lot a few days later to search for the ring. After combing through the area, they were about to give up when Danya noticed something glinting between his toes.
“By the grace of God, I found it right between my toes. I was scraping some grass away, and I just couldn’t believe it,” he told the news station. It was a small but meaningful recovery, adding a touch of good fortune to an already unforgettable experience.
