A reporter has candidly revealed that she suffered a miscarriage on live TV during a football game.
Speaking to People, ex-NFL sideline reporter Lisa Guerrero recalled the moment she knew she'd had a miscarriage while on the job.
"I pushed through and did my reports," Guerrero told the outlet. "When I felt a dampness between my legs, I thought, ‘Oh, I got my period’. And then I remembered I was pregnant. I was having a miscarriage! I could feel blood leaking.
"The officials’ bathroom was in the tunnel behind me. ‘I’m going to the bathroom,’ I told my assistant, whose job was to race around the field with me. He looked at me as if I were insane. ‘They’re about to throw to you’."
She continued: "I delivered my live report. I was dizzy and nauseated but reminded myself to stand up straight. During our Wednesday phone calls, (my boss) Freddie (Gaudelli) would ream me out for bad posture.
"The pain was excruciating. I heard myself mispronounce a player’s name and knew I’d hear about it later. As soon as I finished, I raced off to interview a coach. Then I headed to the bathroom.
"As I sat on the toilet, I couldn’t believe the blood pouring out of me. It had soaked through my pants. I shoved a bunch of paper towels in my underwear."
Guerrero remembered keeping the devastating ordeal a secret as she flew back home.
"It never occurred to me to tell anyone," she continued. "It never occurred to me that maybe I should have gone to a hospital or, at the very least, sat out the rest of the game. The only thought that crossed my mind was that I could get through the rest of the game as long as I buttoned up my long winter coat.
"That way, no one would see the blood. It was as if I were on autopilot. Get back on the sideline. Interview the coach. Listen to Freddie’s directions."
"Guerrero went on: "When the game ended, I was supposed to go to the production truck to talk to Freddie. Instead, I headed to the plane. In the bathroom (on board), I changed clothes, and dumped my underwear and pants in the garbage can. I looked into the mirror and didn’t recognise the pale, gaunt, scared, and so very tired woman who stared back at me."
