Calvin Klein partnership with Every Mother Counts 2013′ Click photo for link Citizens of Humanity
Mother, supermodel and a super human being by all standards, Christy Turlington Burns lives up to each one of these descriptions as they follow her tireless and devoted contribution on a journey that touches many. In fact it touches all of us, women, children and man as well, because everybody can relate with something as sacred, indescribably precious and absolutely necessary in the creation of life.
The Super Models by Peter Lindbergh / Christy & Naomi by Steven Meisel for Vogue Italia 1987′
Most of us know her as one of the supers, together with Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista they were known as the Trinity, she graced the covers of magazines all over the world, walked the catwalks all over the world, and signed contracts with some of the leading fashion and beauty brands of our time that last to this very day. Health, both physically and mentally was evident in her lifestyle choices, that shared an interest in yoga which is beneficial for both. However, it was not until she suffered a post partum complication after giving birth to her first born child, that made her aware of facts, a lot of modern countries are unaware of even today.
Christy Turlington by Bruce Weber – DuJour 2012 Click photo for link on Every Mother Counts mission
Considering I myself have recently come to the realization of living in a country that found herself in the worst four in Europe concerning maternal health care complications and loss of life during birth, I will be honest with you in the description of my homeland. We may not be as economically advanced as the USA or other leading countries of the world, but this fact, of being so careless of life, comes as a surprise to most of us living here, because the general opinion on the matter does not consider this an option or even a possibility. Unfortunately reality and statistics prove us wrong. Only a couple of weeks ago we were shaken by such a case that swept the news with a mother dying while in labor due to hospital negligence, for which nobody took the responsibility for the mistakes they made that led to the loss of something as inestimably precious as a human life. The only explanation we received from the authorities that was supposed to justify their part of the commitment, after the World health organization rated us at number four in life loss during childbirth in Europe, was that young mothers were themselves to blame and responsible for miscarriages etc. because of their lack of education in the matter. So instead of doing their job of helping and improving health care for everyone, they found uneducated mothers the ones to blame for the failure of the system, especially young mothers, since they were the chink in the link that said Macedonia was doing a bad job concerning this vital issue.
Collage photos for Cle du Peu, Harper’s Bazaar May93′ Peter Lindbergh, by Irving Penn
Unable to shake this off with the notion that this can happen to me too, or you or any woman, when giving birth one day I was reminded to look into the possible solutions and first thing on my mind was Every mother counts EMC – Christy Turlingtons Foundation I’ve heard of years ago, because I am a fashion designer, and I too share an interest in yoga, and like any other human being, care for making a difference whenever I can in the lives of others. So despite the fact that I revered this special lady long ago it was not until now I could connect with her mission in a more practical and beneficial role, even if it is raising the awareness of a necessary resolution in these matters, here, in our small but precious home we share together. I’m not actively involved in any humanitarian endeavors so far, even though with years, while being active as a designer, before my big brake these last several years I supported many causes among which most devotedly supporting The Breast Cancer Prevention Foundation – Borka NGO and some others as well. I’m a designer and I love my job. But ultimately I am a human being and a woman. I may not be a mother yet, but I definitely hope to experience the blessing of becoming a mom. I’m back on track, back home after studying and living abroad for a while, but even though my vocation is one of aesthetic proportions, I can’t help but point toward our common problems and maybe even contribute to a solution I cannot bring about alone, but am willing to join others concerned with such existential realities.
At the moment approx. 303 000 women die each year, due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth. That is, one women loses her life every 2 minutes, for each of these deaths an average of 4 orphans are left behind.
Enough about me and back to the woman, the Great Mother, that does the hard work of uniting forces all over the globe, promoting life, and indeed gives an example of the meaning of every single mother everywhere and what it counts for. It is best to open www.everymothercounts.org to get a clearer perspective of her initiative, the effort she and her co-workers give to ensure that the number of women losing their life’s during child birth decreases each day.
Christy Turlington Burns in Every Mother Counts T-shirt slogan and orange rose logo
At the moment approx. 303 000 women die each year, due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth. That is, one women loses her life every 2 minutes, for each of these deaths an average of 4 orphans are left behind. These women are not merely the caretakers, they are often the teachers, the health care providers, the community leaders, the ones who ensure that children get food, education and clean water. 99% of these deaths take place in developing countries, however developed countries lose women also, and some even progressively despite the enormous amounts of money spent on health insurances per capita. What is important is that 98% of these deaths are preventable and this is where we must act together. Let’s share the message in addressing the barriers for maternal health around the world and at home.
Mrs.Turlington Burns on a mission with mothers around the world, Christy Turlington Burns holds a newborn at a clinic in Bali, Indonesia.
Attention must be focused most on suitable education that sets an example for responsibility of a skilled attendance at all births, that is considered to be the single most critical intervention for ensuring safe motherhood. Also supplies and their lack of, together with transportation, which no matter how unbelievable it may seem to us, is a huge problem in developing countries. We must face the challenges such as, lack of educated and skilled attendants at birth, education concerning the options and use of modern contraceptives, establishing a consensus on receiving proper pre natal care for everyone, enabling access to solar power in places with no electrical grid, or if working with limited means, establish ways of better managing assets with the implementation of modern technological discoveries such as Leds, that can supply light at a minimal expense and last but not least solving the problem of distance and transportation that can be a determining factor of life or death. The reality is that many women live miles away from healthcare providers and facilities, with extremely limited access to transportation.
Collage of Christy Turlington by Ellen von Unverth, by Steven Meisel for Vogue Italia 89′, for Tatler and by Steven Meisel for Vogue Italia july 2010′
This must be addressed, and in relation to these problems, after walking the runways, Christy Tarlington brings about the awareness of the problem about the distance, running for it, quite literally. She has been running the marathons and half marathons organized in different locations in the world for this very cause. The most recent one being the one in Tokyo Japan last week, where she introduced us with the Japanese tradition of doula, also known as a birth companion, birth coach or a post-birth supporter, that isn’t a medical person, but who stays with and assists a woman before, during or after childbirth, to provide emotional support and physical help if needed. They also may provide support to the mother’s partner and family. Countries and their healthcare providers can learn from each other. As long as we are open to new approaches and solutions there is hope for improvement and change for the better, a better future for everybody, since our children are the future.
Collage of photos taken from Pinterest of Christy Turlington
DEVOTED TO THE GREAT MOTHER IN ALL WOMEN
Mother, where love is born and it lasts forever. Every mother counts and every day is mother’s day, to all the amazing mothers out there……Life without You would be, well basically impossible! Mother is the perfect example of unconditional love. Thank you for all that you are, you deliver the gift of life.
