The American senator Tammy Duckworth (50) has become the mother of a daughter. With this, the Illinois Democrat is the first seated female American senator to have a child during her term of office.
Duckworth previously wrote history because she became the first woman with a disability to the US Senate elected. Duckworth is a former helicopter pilot for the US Army, whose legs were amputated after a crash in Iraq in 2004.
Duckworth’s first child Abigail was born in 2014 when she was still serving in the American House of Representatives. A second time getting pregnant was a difficult process for Duckworth and her husband, she said earlier in the American media. “I have had multiple IVF treatments and miscarriage, so we are very grateful for this pregnancy”, it sounded in January.
“Not the only working parent”
In a series of tweets, the Duckworth announced the arrival of her second daughter, named Maile Pearl Bowlsbey. The baby was born in a hospital in Washington DC. “Parenthood is not only an issue for working mothers, it is an economic matter and one that affects all parents – both men and women,” says the Senator in a statement. “However difficult it is to combine parenting with my role as a senator, I am not the only working parent and my children make sure that I do my work with even more dedication and get up for hardworking families.”
According to the Chicago Sun Times, senators from both parties surprised Duckworth with a baby shower last month.
Pearl Bowlsbey Johnson was Bryan’s great Aunt, an Army Officer & a nurse who served during the Second World War. He spent many summer months with her while growing up, we feel her presence still and are grateful for her service to our nation during the most challenging of times.
— Tammy Duckworth (@SenDuckworth) April 9, 2018
