Breastfeeding is a natural part of motherhood, and many mothers find themselves feeding their babies in public when the need arises. One young mother experienced this firsthand, but she had no idea that someone was secretly filming her during this intimate moment. When she discovered the footage, she had plenty to say about it. Read on to find out more…
Izabele Lomax, a woman from Maryland, was going about her day on social media when she stumbled upon a video that made her heart drop. Upon closer inspection, she realized it featured her breastfeeding in public.
The clip she encountered was a screenshot of a prior post. A stranger had recorded Lomax nursing her baby and criticized her for not covering up while doing so. The post, shared in a breastfeeding support group, included a caption expressing disbelief that another woman would take a video of a mother feeding her child and post it online.
Lomax felt a strong connection to the post, as it showed her in a vulnerable moment. “I was like:, ‘That’s me!”” she recalled, shocked to learn she had been filmed without her consent while enjoying a day at the beach.
The person who posted the video claimed they weren’t trying to shame breastfeeding mothers but rather criticized Lomax for not being more discreet. They expressed discomfort at the idea of exposing their son to topless women in public spaces.
In the video, Lomax was shown sitting under an umbrella at the beach, nursing her infant without realizing she was being recorded. The carefree day she had shared with her fiancé, baby, and parents took a turn for the worse when someone decided to judge her actions.
Not one to remain silent, Lomax took to social media to address the situation directly. In her video response, she pointed out that the woman had walked by her several times and could have chosen to speak to her instead of filming her without her knowledge.
Lomax emphasized that she would not have stopped breastfeeding her child, and she questioned why the woman felt the need to sexualize breastfeeding in front of her own young son. “If you have time to record me and post about it on Facebook, you could have taken a moment to educate your son about breastfeeding”, she said in her impassioned response.
Support for Lomax poured in from her followers, leading the original poster to delete the video. Many commenters expressed disbelief at the woman’s decision to publicly shame another mother for breastfeeding. One commenter remarked: “Who does this lady think needs protection? Just explain to your kid that the woman is feeding her baby, and move on”.
Others noted that the baby’s head covered any nudity that might have been visible, reinforcing the idea that there was nothing inappropriate about the situation. This incident sparked a significant discussion, highlighting the strong opinions surrounding public breastfeeding. What are your thoughts on this situation? Share your comments!
The fascinating and tragic story of Mary Ann Bevan
The story of Mary Ann Bevan, who was considered ‘The ugliest woman in the world,’ starts in the 19th century, a dark period of the American culture when ‘freak shows,’ traveling circuses showing people with certain deformities and disabilities, were at the peak of their popularity.
Today, it is highly unacceptable to treat people with disabilities with disrespect, but back in the day, no one believed it was morally wrong to dub them freaks.
Mary Ann Bevan was born on December 20, 1874, in Plaistow, East London, United Kingdom. She grew up to become a nurse and was respected by the society. On top of that, she was a very attractive woman who was offered many possibilities.
In 1902, Mary met the love of her life, a man named Thomas Bevan. The two married and welcomed four children together, but their happiness didn’t last long. After 14 years, Thomas passed away, leaving Mary heartbroken.
Her life became difficult as she was left to take care and provide for her children all by herself.
Unfortunately, around the time she turned 32, Mary started experiencing strange symptoms. Her face started changing gradually and she didn’t know what was happening or what caused that change which impacted her both psychologically and financially. Mary’s bones grew big, and her face became deformed. As a result, she lost her job and was unable to provide for her children any longer.
Back in the day, no one could diagnose her, but this poor woman suffered from acromegaly, a hormonal disorder that develops when the pituitary gland produces too much growth hormone during adulthood, when a change in height doesn’t occur. Instead, the increase in bone size is limited to the bones of the hands, feet and face.
Today, a lot more is knows about this condition and there are ways to keep it under control, which wasn’t the case during the time Mary lived.
Crushed, heartbroken, and poor, this woman saw an ad one day which read, “Wanted: Ugliest woman. Nothing repulsive, maimed or disfigured. Good pay guaranteed, and long engagement for successful applicant. Send recent photograph.”
No matter how awful she felt about this ‘job,’ she saw no way out of her situation. She simply needed to do anything in order to feed her children. Above all, she was a mother.
Mary answered the ad and she was soon contacted by the circus’ agent, a man named Claude Bartram, who later shared Mary’s story.
“She was not repulsive at all. She had the kind of face one usually finds in a giant, a powerful, masculine jaw, prominent cheek-bones, nose and forehead, but she was unblemished, healthy and strong. She told me she did not like the idea of placing herself on exhibition, she was shy and did not want to be separated from her children,” Bartram said, according to Daily Star.
“I told her she would earn £10 per week for a year, travelling expenses and all the money from the sale of picture postcards of herself, so she could provide for the education of her children.”
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In no time, magazines were filled with Mary Ann’s photos and everyone recognized her as ‘the ugliest woman on Earth.’
Her popularity brought her to the Dreamland Circus in Coney Island, New York, one of the most famous circuses there were. Mary Ann became an attraction, but then a doctor named Harvey Cushing, a leading neurosurgeon, spotted her and knew there was more behind ger huge face that he wanted to explore thoroughly.
“This unfortunate woman who sits in the sideshow of Ringling Brothers ‘between Fat Lady and Armless Wonder’ and ‘affects white lace hats, woollen mittens and high laced shoes’ has a story which is far from mirth-provoking.
“She, previously a vigorous and good-looking young woman, has become the victim of a disease known as acromegaly,” he wrote in a letter to Time magazine.
Mary Ann spent her life working at the circus and she was reported to have earned a small fortune which enabled her to send her children back to England where they attended boarding schools.
She endured a lot, but she did it all for her children.
Mary Ann died at the age of 59 of natural causes. Her final wish was to be buried in her homeland, England, and her children fulfilled her wish. She is resting at the Ladywell and Brockley Cemetery in South London.
This woman’s sad, yet fascinating life story speaks of the mother’s love for her children more than anything else.
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