EXPERIENCE, AND HOW SHE IS NOW
EMPOWERING OTHERS TO SPEAK UP.
YOU’RE INVOLVED IN SOMETHING
SPECIAL LAWN CHBUNCHING TODAY.
FERTILITY OUT LOUD.
TELL US ABOUT IT.
>> I HAVE BEEN VERY OUT LOUD
WITH EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING I’VE EVER SAID,
BASICALLY.
SO I FIGURED, WHY NOT BE OUT
LOUD ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WAS
REALLY ACTUALLY VERY IMPORTANT
TO ME?
I THINK OUR JOURNEY WITH
FERTILITY AND INFERTILITY HAS
BEEN VERY PUBLIC FOR A VERY LONG
TIME.
I JUST FELT THAT THE MORE PUBLIC
WE WERE, THE MORE PUBLIC OTHER
PEOPLE WERE.
I DIDN’T FEEL THAT I HAD
ANYWHERE TO GO BUT TO BE ABLE TO
HAVE A PLACE THAT FAMILIES ARE
ABLE TO GO TO, WHERE THEY CAN,
YOU KNOW, GET ANSWERS TO ALL OF
THEIR RANDOM QUESTIONS.
AND TO BE SURROUNDED BY PEOPLE
THAT ARE GOING THROUGH THE SAME
THING, IT’S JUST AN IMPORTANT
THING.
>> DO YOU FEEL THAT FOR A ALMOST
OF WOMEN, THERE AREN’T A LOT OF
PLACES TO GO TO FIND OUT YOUR
OPTIONS AND FERTILITY TREATMENT
OPTIONS?
I MEAN, I THINK SOMETIMES WOMEN
FEEL ISOLATE AND HAD A IALONE.
>> YEAH, NOBODY TALKS ABOUT IT.
IT’S NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF.
>> I CAME OUT A WHILE AGO WITH
MY INFERTILITY ISSUES.
I TALKED ABOUT MY MISCARRIAGE.
I WAS NERVOUS ABOUT PUTTING
MYSELF OUT THERE.
I KNOW YOU’VE BEEN OPEN ABOUT
YOUR LOSS, TOO.
AND IT WAS LIKE THE FLOODGATES
OPENED.
THERE WERE WOMEN JUST WAITING IN
THE WINGS TO TELL THEIR STORY.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU, TO
BE ABLE TO GIVE WOMEN THAT
SPACE, TO JUST SHARE THEIR
STORY?
>> I LOOK BACK ON IT, AND IT
FEELS LIKE SUCH A BLUR.
IT’S LIKE BEING ON A ROLLER
COASTER AND HOLDING YOUR BREATH,
THEN NOT REALLY REMEMBERING IT
AT THE END.
I JUST KNOW THAT THE WAY WE
SHARED IT WAS SUPER HARD.
IT WAS SUPER HARD FOR JOHN.
BUT FOR SOME REASON, I KNEW THAT
IT WOULD HELP A LOT OF PEOPLE.
THERE WAS ONE MOMENT THAT REALLY
STRUCK ME.
THAT WAS BEING AT THE GROCERY
STORE.
SOMEBODY JUST QUIETLY LAYING
FLOWERS IN MY CART.
THEN I REALIZED THAT THERE ARE
SO MANY WOMEN THAT DON’T GET
THIS KIND OF ATTENTION BECAUSE
THEY’RE LIVING THROUGH THIS
PRIVATELY AND QUIETLY.
IT JUST WAS A BIG MOMENT FOR ME,
WHERE I REALIZED THAT I COULD BE
THIS PERSON THAT PEOPLE COULD
SEE AND LOOK UP TO AS SOMEBODY
THAT HAD A PLATFORM, WHERE THEIR
STORIES WERE GOING TO BE
RECOGNIZED.
SO FOR ME, THAT WAS A VERY
DEFINING MOMENT.
>> WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO SAY TO
THOSE WOMEN WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED
LOSS OR WHO ARE GOING THROUGH
THE IVF JOURNEY, OR WHO ARE
GUILTY THEIR BODIES AREN’T
WORKING THE WAY THEY WANT THEM
TO WORK?
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THOSE
WOMEN RIGHT NOW?
>> FIRST OF ALL, THERE ARE SO
MANY WAYS TO MAKE YOUR DREAM
HAPPEN NOW.
COMING TO TERMS WITH THE FACT
THAT I CAN’T CARRY AGAIN HAS
BEEN SOMETHING REALLY TOUGH.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, I’VE AGONIZED
OVER IT.
TO ME, IT’S WHEN I’M AT MY
HAPPIEST.
I LOVED BEING PREGNANT.
THE FACT I GOT TO DO IT TWICE, I
THINK, WAS MIRACULOUS ENOUGH.
THERE IS A WAY TO HAVE THAT
BEAUTIFUL CHILD, WHETHER IT’S
YOUR OWN OR, YOU KNOW, WHETHER
YOU ADOPT.
I THINK THE MORE THAT WE SHARE
OUR STORIES, THE MORE PEOPLE
REALIZE THAT THEY CONNECT WITH
ONE OF THOSE STORIES.
THAT’S REALLY IMPORTANT.
THERE’S SOMETHING SO BEAUTIFUL
ABOUT THAT.
>> FINALLY, TALK ABOUT YOUR
SUPPORT SYSTEM.
YOUR MOM, PEPPER, WAS ON THE
OTHER DAY.
>> SHE VIDEO TAPED HERSELF BEING
ON THE "TODAY" SHOW.
I WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW THIS IS A
POPULAR SHOW.
IT’LL AIR EVERYWHERE.
YOU DON’T NEED TO VIDEO TAPE IT
ON THE SIDE.
BUT I AM SO PROUD OF HER.
HONESTLY, I SWEAR TO GOD, I
THINK HER BOOK IS DOING BETTER
THAN MY BOOKS.
>> WE’VE BEEN HAVING THESE
CHALLENGES MOMENTS, AND IT FEELS
LIKE A CROWD.
YOU
YOU DON’T KNOW WHEN THE SUN IS
COMING BACK.
HOW IS YOUR SPIRIT?
>> I FEEL POSITIVE.
IT FEELS LIKE A TIME TO RENEW
AND ENERGIZE.
IT LOVE THAT FEELING.
I HOPE THAT NO ONE THINKS MY
SKIN CARE SEEMS LIKE I’M GOING
CRAZY
CRAZY.
I’M JUST DISCOVERING MYSELF.
>> I SAW THE PINK.
I WAS LIKE, LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE,
MY FRIEND.
>> I LOVE IT.
>> OH, YUP, I’M ALMOST 40, BUT
WHATEVER.
I’M GOING TO DO IT.
I DON’T CARE.
>> YEAH.
>> THE TERM YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE
IS APPLYING TOE THESE DAYS.
I’M GOING FOR IT.
>> I REALLY LOVED OUR
CONVERSATION.
>> IT WAS A GOOD CONVERSATION.
>> SHE’S MAKING IT ACCESSIBLE TO
TALK ABOUT FERTILEITY ISSUES.
IT IS A GREAT CAMPAIGN SHE’S
WORKING ON.