We recently connected with Paola Bayron and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Paola, thanks for joining us today. Who is your hero and why? What lessons have you learned from them and how have they influenced your journey?

My hero is my daughter. She saved my life in so many ways, in so many different moments and continues to motivate me to keep moving forward. In January I experienced what were stroke-like symptoms, I was paralyzed from head to toe, I was not able to articulate words clearly, my eyes were not able to focus anywhere. My husband came in the room to help me, he was holding our baby and he couldn’t understand what was happening to me. I was able to get out the words “baby”, “stroke” and “911”. My husband made the call.

The ambulance arrived, they took me alone to the hospital and while everything was happening so fast, I was trying to stay awake and conscious through it all. They placed me into an MRI machine and although I was nervous and terrified that I would never speak again or move like I normally would, I kept trying to say my daughter’s name out loud. I kept mouthing her name “Layla” even when no sound that I meant to make, came out. I was not saying “Layla” out loud, only mumbling could be heard. In my mind, I was saying it as clear as day. It felt like hours of not being able to speak clearly, but her name was starting to sound clearer. I kept repeating it until I could say it as it was meant to be heard, I was focused on my hero and my hero brought me back, and every time after that day. As I recovered in the hospital and then later went home, I realize that if I’m not alright mentally, physically, my daughter is someone who will be missing out on her mother. I learned from her that time is precious. That being able to take care of her is so special and a true blessing and if I’m not doing okay, I miss out on it completely. Today, even while I’m still recovering, I am present. I am learning how to take things more lightly, to not hurt over things that are completely out of my control, to not fear risks, to not worry about so much when my only focus should be myself first, because without me, I can’t take care of my baby girl. Moving forward I want to be there for my baby and be everything and the very best for her for as long as I should be there for.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a journalist. I normally do production as an assignment desk editor. I manage the stories that come in before they’re released on broadcast television, sometimes I may need to be the one to edit it from scratch. I gather all the elements that are needed, including information, content, images, press conference footage, interviews and more to collectively make a final visual piece of the story, so that the audience is informed on that topic and other topics that are also included in the entirety of the newscast. Often as an assignment desk editor, we’re assigned multiple stories or interviews at a time.

Since I’ve been out of work due to my medical condition, I decided to open up a blog and write about my life experiences. I felt that while I was undergoing difficult moments, my friends, colleagues, family were all up to date with what happened through social media. I also tried to share more mental health awareness as well, as I later was diagnosed with pseudo seizures. And of course, through it all, I’ve had to be a first-time mom, so I’ve also been open about things I’ve learned along the way.

I feel that my blog is helpful to young women, moms, sisters, anyone who would like to know more about what my birthing experience was like, what my postpartum recovery was like, how my mental health affected my state physically, how my husband and I work towards a better marriage each and every day, as we go through being first time parents, my health condition, raising a baby, working in the same industry simultaneously. I also share huge experiences in my life that have shaped who I am today. In a way, the blog is also therapeutic for me as sometimes all I want to do is share what’s happened and what I’ve learned so someone can learn from it as well.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is when someone writes to me through direct message or texts me to tell me they’ve read my blog and they were happy, sad, laughing, crying as they read each moment that I shared with them and that they were proud of my strength for being so transparent. It’s a brave thing to do to put your life on a stage light, but it is also impactful to not even realize how you’ve changed, motivated or helped someone with words you typed on your computer. To me, that is rewarding. To help someone else in a different way and now my way, which is through the art of writing.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I had to unlearn and am still unlearning how to not do something immediately. How to take a moment, breathe, process and then do. I always have the habit of doing things as soon as it’s told to be done. For example, to not leave the dishes unwashed, to make the bed as soon as you wake up, to make a call to pay a bill the moment I received the statement. I never take a moment to move forward slowly and assertively. I just do it and then realized I’ve gone faster than I really needed to.

When I had my daughter, I realized time was set differently. I needed to do things when I could do them. If I couldn’t finish it, it was alright, I’ll do it after or when I have a chance. It’s not about procrastination, but doing things more at pace so that I don’t overwhelm myself with an abundant amount of things because I believe that I can’t multitask like I once was able to. I now have to take it easy and focus on what’s most important, do it the best I can every time and have faith that everything will turn out just the way it should.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lulysblog.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lulycurls/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paola-bayron-/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Pbayron001

Image Credits
Jose Carlos Ortega