There’s nothing quite like a mother’s love, so whether your mum is far or near this year; be sure to make this special day a memorable one. This Mother’s Day we celebrate great mothers around the world and two phenomenal women who have inspired us with their incredible stories. The journey to motherhood is truly unique and every woman experience motherhood differently. From losses, tough times to battling with mental health some women have been through it all. So in collaboration with @kindwomanuk, a charity that empowers and supports women and new mums; this Mother’s Day 2021, FRUK is celebrating these brilliant women and their extraordinary experiences.
Here’s to the mothers, grandmothers, stepmothers, foster mothers, aunties, sisters, mother figures and mothers-to-be. Happy Mother’s Day!
“Having a family is something I always knew I wanted to do. It is a blessing and an honour. Waking up to my son’s smiling face every morning is a daily reminder of how lucky I am and that miracles do happen” – Lisa-Marie Tonelli
Lisa-Marie Tonelli: Founder, North East International Film Festival NEIFF.
After 17 years of trying to conceive and no medical explanation, I had suffered 2 consecutive miscarriages at 21. It never occurred to me that my pregnancy may not continue each time. This was something completely unexpected to me as it had never happened to anyone I had known. This affected my mood for a period of time. I felt low, useless, like a failure and I felt a huge sense of loss. I struggled some days to even leave my bed.
As a woman, from the moment you see those 2 lines on that stick, you immediately become a Mother; and you start to plan how your life will be. I knew that becoming a Mother was far too important to me to just give up. I couldn’t imagine my life without children in it; and I knew that only sheer determination, strength and will was going to help me in my journey to continue trying.
After being given a 1% chance of conceiving and sustaining a pregnancy, I was on a mission to carry out my own research in regards to Fertility. I looked at European practices, I read research papers and case studies, and used alternative therapies. After almost 4 months I was pregnant again and I used the knowledge I had aquired to ensure that this time I would reach full-term.
My pregnancy was frought with anxiety and fear, fear of history repeating itself but just before we went into the first lockdown a year ago, I gave birth to a beautiful son. Becoming a Mother means everything to me. Having a family is something I always knew I wanted to do. It is a blessing and an honour. Waking up to my son’s smiling face every morning is a daily reminder of how lucky I am and that miracles do happen! Becoming a Mother made me realise that if I could achieve the (almost) impossible in my private life, I may be able to achieve the same success in my professional life too and it was during my maternity that I founded the North East International Film Festival.
|”Being a mother to me is the most rewarding and the most challenging thing I have ever done. But it’s absolutely incredible in so many ways.” – Melissa Gamarra
Melissa Gamarra: Founder, Melissa Gamarra Management
My journey to motherhood was one I never expected. After checking off a few items on my bucket list, my husband and I started trying for a baby. Four months in to our efforts I got pregnant at 23 for the first time and couldn’t believe it. I was excited and scared but ready to start the new chapter in my life. That is until we lost the baby after 11 weeks. It’s interesting how loss like that affects people so differently. For me it was devastating and sadly came with many complications that took some time to sort themselves out. But after losing the first pregnancy I felt more sure than ever before, I wanted to be a mother!
Nearly 1 year after starting our journey toward becoming parents I found myself pregnant a second time. I had planned on a water birth that would be medication free but nature had other plans for me. My daughter was upside down in the birth canal making my labor incredibly painful and challenging. After pushing for four hours the midwife told me we needed a cesarean because my daughter’s head was just too big to make any progress.
During the operation I stopped breathing and so did my daughter. The doctors were able to get her out after a full minute with no oxygen; and resuscitate her, she spent 8 days in the Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). This experience was not at all what I had planned and the trauma around this birth haunted me for a long time until I got help. I started seeing a therapist for my postpartum anxiety; and was able to work through the trauma I experienced through this process.
Now I feel better than ever. And could not be more grateful for the growth that motherhood brought to my life. Being a mother to me is the most rewarding and the most challenging thing I have ever done! But it’s absolutely incredible in so many ways. I like to remind myself that nothing worth having comes easily and motherhood is no exception to this rule.
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