Facebook Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg and pediatrician wife Priscilla Chan announced the arrival of their first child - a daughter. While this news is every bit a delight to the soon-to-be parents and the whole Facebook community, Zuckerberg also shared a poignant note following the announcement:
Priscilla and I have some exciting news: we're expecting a baby girl!
This will be a new chapter in our lives. We've already been so fortunate for the opportunity to touch people's lives around the world -- Cilla as a doctor and educator, and me through this community and philanthropy. Now we'll focus on making the world a better place for our child and the next generation.
Zuckerberg also shared that they've been trying to have a child for years (they married in 2012) -- but three miscarriages have unfortunately occurred. This time, he assured that the risk of loss is "very low," and that they are hopeful, indeed.
The CEO went on:
You feel so hopeful when you learn you're going to have a child. 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.
In today's open and connected world, discussing these issues doesn't distance us; it brings us together. It creates understanding and tolerance, and it gives us hope.
When we started talking to our friends, we realized how frequently this happened -- that many people we knew had similar issues and that nearly all had healthy children after all.
We hope that sharing our experience will give more people the same hope we felt and will help more people feel comfortable sharing their stories as well.
Looking forward to sharing more news, Zuckerberg assured that Cilla and baby girl are both healthy:
Cilla and our child are both healthy, I'm extremely excited to meet her and our dog Beast has no idea what's coming. In our ultrasound, she even gave me a thumbs up "like" with her hand, so I'm already convinced she takes after me.
We're looking forward to welcoming her into the world and sharing more soon when she's ready to come out and meet everyone!
As told by the New York Times (Bits), Zuckerberg usually uses his personal Facebook account to announce updates from the social media giant, including new products and initiatives. The CEO is generally private, the outlet noted. His children, reportedly, will not be able to use the network until they're 13.
The week had been a good one for Mark Zuckerberg and the Facebook team. Wednesday before the pregnancy announcement, the company earnings were released reporting a steady growth of its advertising business, while Thursday saw the unveiling of Zuckerberg's latest project -- Aquila -- an aircraft designed to "deliver" internet to communities all over the world.
