Lisa Ling on Her Miscarriage: I Felt Like Such a Failure
ETonline.com |
Lisa Ling joined the California Museum's board of trustees in November and on Tuesday the journalist visited the museum for the announcement of the 2010 California Hall of Fame inductees where she talked about one of the lowest periods in her life.
"When I found out that I had miscarried it was really such a shock to the system because I felt like such a failure and I really felt very alone," said Ling who suffered a miscarriage six months ago. "Well, I came to learn that so many of my friends had miscarried. I mean, it is so commonplace and so pervasive but nobody talks about it because women generally feel so much shame when they discuss it."
Ling launched a website, secretsocietyofwomen.com, as an online refuge for women to share their private struggles in confidentiality. The internet was the first place Ling turned to when she learned of her unsuccessful pregnancy.
"At first when I found out that there was no heartbeat I wasn't ready to tell my friends, so I jumped online and I was, like, pouring through blogs because I was just hungry to hear and learn from other people's experience," said Ling.
Barbara Streisand, James Cameron, Betty White, Serena Williams and Mark Zuckerberg were among those who traveled to Sacremento for their induction into the California Hall of Fame on December 14.
Streisand's induction joins the long list of achievements the performer has racked up over the years, but the legendary singer/actress called "giving birth to her son" the biggest one of all.
Williams showed up at the event wearing a bedazzled cast on her right leg because of a torn tendon and may have felt that she's receiving the distinction prematurely.
"I can't imagine I'm being honored," said Serena. "I'm just a normal girl."
Watch the video to hear Maria Shriver's words on her friend, the late Elizabeth Edwards.
