The event that would ultimately shape Njideka E Aniagolu’s life happened when she was just three years old: her mother died while giving birth to Aniagolu’s younger brother.
“I lost my mum when I was too young to understand why,” says Aniagolu, who was born and raised in Nigeria. It was only as she got older that Aniagolu understood the circumstances of her mother’s death. “She died of postpartum haemorrhage [excessive bleeding after childbirth] and as I got to understand the reason she passed, I realised if better healthcare had been available, her death could have been prevented. She could have been OK. When I learned this, it inspired me to go into a career where I could help others.”
