Imagine getting the assignment of your professional life as a photojournalist: a 10-day gig from New York Times to capture moments in time in war torn nations in Africa and the Middle East.
Then imagine discovering you are pregnant soon thereafter. What to do?
Do you risk the life and health of your unborn child and turn down the assignment?
Or do you endure the nausea and exhaustion, having to be mindful to avoid airport radiation, contaminated food and deal with the fact you cannot take medication like Cipro to guard against malaria because it isn’t recommended for pregnant women?
Lynsey Addario took that challenge and found herself walking into Somali refugee camps in Kenya where people were dying whilst a new forming life inside her was kicking.
Not being able to fully enjoy all the first and joys other first-time-moms experience over fear about the risk she was subjecting her baby to are all covered in this brilliantly written introspective recently published in the paper.
While it was a very risky adventure that most wouldn’t dare undertake, Addario’s story is a testament to the fact that pregnancy is not an adherence to anything in life and women can do anything and are stronger than thought.
Read it HERE
Photo: courtesy Ms. Addario