Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg announced Friday that he and his wife, Priscilla Chan, are expecting a baby girl. But the couple also made an unusually candid announcement: Chan has suffered several miscarriages in their attempt to have a child.
"This will be a new chapter in our lives," Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook post. "We've already been so fortunate for the opportunity to touch people's lives around the world . . . Now we'll focus on making the world a better place for our child and the next generation."
He added that during their years-long effort to start a family, Chan had three miscarriages.
"You feel so hopeful when you learn you're going to have a child," Zuckerberg wrote. "You start imagining who they'll become and dreaming of hopes for their future. You start making plans, and then they're gone. It's a lonely experience. Most people don't discuss miscarriages because you worry your problems will distance you or reflect upon you — as if you're defective or did something to cause this. So you struggle on your own."
Between 10 and 25 percent of pregnancies end in miscarriages, according to the American Pregnancy Association. It is a surprisingly common occurrence, but women and their families often cope with the loss alone. "Women are often left with unanswered questions regarding their physical recovery, their emotional recovery and trying to conceive again," the group said. "It is very important that women try to keep the lines of communication open with family, friends and health care providers during this time."
Chan, 30, and Zuckerberg, 31, met in 2003, while both attended Harvard. He never graduated, focusing instead on launching Facebook. Chan, a former teacher, is a pediatric physician at the University of California at San Francisco. The couple married in 2012.
Zuckerberg said on Facebook that he and Chan decided to share their story to help others who have the same experience.
"When we started talking to our friends, we realized how frequently this happened," he wrote. "We hope that sharing our experience will give more people the same hope we felt."
Chan and the child are healthy, Zuckerberg added.
"Our good news is that our pregnancy is now far enough along that the risk of loss is very low and we are very hopeful," he wrote, adding: "In our ultrasound, she even gave me a thumbs up 'like' with her hand, so I'm already convinced she takes after me."
The Washington Post
Sun Aug 02 2015
![Zuckerberg, Chan share on Facebook: It's a girl! Zuckerberg, Chan share on Facebook: It's a girl!](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2015-08/81438486398_MARKPRISCILLA.jpg)
Zuckerberg said on Facebook that he and Chan decided to share their story to help others who have the same experience
10 Berita Pilihan - (16 Julai 2024
Antara pelbagai berita dalam dan luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
PAC beri tempoh tiga bulan kepada HRD Corp
Jawatankuasa Kira-kira Wang Negara (PAC) memberi tempoh tiga bulan kepada Perbadanan Pembangunan Sumber Manusia (HRD Corp) untuk mengemukakan laporan tindakan susulan terhadap syor jawatankuasa itu.
Kylian Mbappe tandatangan kontrak dengan Real Madrid
Bintang bola sepak Perancis Kylian Mbappe menandatangani kontrak selama lima tahun dengan kelab Sepanyol Real Madrid pada Selasa.
Pelepasan ketujuh air sisa nuklear Fukushima ke laut selesai
Jepun telah menyelesaikan pusingan ketujuh pelepasan air sisa radioaktif yang dirawat dari loji kuasa nuklear Fukushima Daiichi ke Lautan Pasifik pada Selasa.
Empat termasuk kapten maut dalam pertempuran
Empat anggota tentera India termasuk kapten meninggal dunia akibat kecederaan selepas pertempuuran pada malam isnin di Hutan Desa.
Pakistan sahkan 4 warganya terbunuh di Oman
Pakistan berkata pada Selasa empat warganya terbunuh dalam insiden tembakan pada malam Isnin berhampiran ibu negara Oman, Muscat.
Lima terbunuh, puluhan cedera dalam protes antikuota di Bangladesh
Sekurang-kurangnya empat orang terbunuh dan puluhan lagi cedera dalam pertempuran antara pelajar yang memprotes sistem kuota dalam pekerjaan sektor awam dan polis di pelbagai bahagian Bangladesh pada Selasa.
Kerajaan cadang perkenal pembiayaan swasta
Kerajaan menyasarkan untuk memperkenalkan pembiayaan swasta alternatif bagi memastikan kemampanan kewangan program sektor air, sekali gus mengurangkan kebergantungan pada perbelanjaan kerajaan dan mengukuhkan daya tahan.
Saya tak fitnah Guan Eng, cuma jelaskan siasatan SPRM - Muhyiddin
Presiden Bersatu Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin memberitahu Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur hari ini bahawa beliau tidak memfitnah Lim Guan Eng berhubung isu pengecualian cukai terhadap Yayasan Albukhary
KPT alu-alukan dapatan, cadangan PAC - Zambry
Ini termasuklah cadangan pelaksanaan Garis Panduan Pelaburan dan Pembiayaan oleh Universiti Awam 2024 kepada anak-anak syarikat di bawah seliaan Kementerian Pendidikan Tinggi (KPT).