We all face difficulties and hardships – go through periods of struggle. But how much pain one can tolerate and still remain positive, you may wonder. Well – there is not too many of us who has such extreme level of positivity as Nusrat has. Despite becoming a mother of two beautiful twin angels, she lost one due to a rare complicacy occurred during her pregnancy! Her heightened sense of optimism has kept her positive and she has realised the true meaning of life – which is all about cherishing what you have at present.

Nusrat is a talented student which led her to numerous achievement and scholarships including an opportunity to pursue PhD in Melbourne, Australia. She is an Engineer by profession and a beauty and food blogger by passion – amassed an enviable number of followers on Instagram (Check her Instagram @nushieye).

Let’s hear the rest from this beautiful woman with a heart of gold!

About Nusrat

I am Nusrat, a Bangladeshi born living permanently in Melbourne. I am an ex-Rajukian, a proud one. I have completed my bachelor from BRAC University, which made me an engineer. I roamed around few European countries like France, Romania and Germany to finish my Masters. Then I flew all the way to the Aussieland for my PhD. Sounds quite interesting! But, research is not my forte, I slowly found out. Moving on, I have worked in many multinational companies like Samsung, Renault, Vantage Systems etc. Had hardly a year or two experience in the field of Information Technology, commonly known as IT. All my life I have studied with Scholarship, thus, it was always free for me to travel, eat and sleep. Please don’t think that I am straight A’s student, had CGPA of 3.9 or 4.0. I was just a regular student having enough and satisfactory grades to get grants. Besides I am a proud mum of twins, both are premature babies, aged twenty-six weeks. They are the soul to me and keeps me alive every day.

What/who has been the biggest inspiration in your life?

My only inspiration is my mother, she is my biggest support. She always taught me to have the right purpose towards everything. She educated me to judge things by seeing both sides of the coin. She has worked hard for me and my little brother, to be successful in life. I believe we are getting there slowly and steadily.

What were the major challenges in your life?

I have faced many challenges over time. Life wasn’t a bed full of roses rather it was like a wave (ups and downs). Coming from a middle-class background, I can’t imagine my parents paying thousands of dollars for my tuition fees abroad. My only choice was getting a scholarship every now and then. I managed to get scholarship during my Bachelor, Masters and PhD studies. I will not say I am too studious or a nerd but, I am a seeker with one good intention to overcome every difficulty I face in my life. Another major difficulty, I recently faced during my pregnancy period. It really changed my perception about life. It is not always about education, love, money, friendship etc. but life has more flavour than one can ever imagine. Life is too short, and it is also about being healthy physically and mentally. I was physically too weak due to my pregnancy complications. I can name only a few i.e. Preeclampsia, Polyhydramnios (occurs in only 1-2 % of pregnancies), twin to twin transfusion, high blood pressure and heart rate etc. I am only naming them so that others can be aware of these issues. All of these had caused severe damage to me. I lost one of my little angels in the process. It is even heart breaking for me to write this down. I was in the most complicated situation, where no mother wants to stay. However, I am still trying to stay positive and believe that it wasn’t in my hand. Only Almighty Allah knows what’s best for me. In this way, I am trying to stay strong mentally and moving forward with a belief that after every difficulty there is an ease.

How did you overcome those challenges?

I am fortunate to have my mother, my aunt and my brother who has supported me from the beginning. They were always there when I fell. Not to mention, I also got support from my husband who takes good care of any difficult situation I face nowadays. Lucky to have him around. It is them, their encouragement let me to be optimistic and strong. They taught me to look at the bright side and go on.

What is your favourite quote?

Good intentions can provide us a blessed life.

How do you handle mental stress?

One who loses their baby can know what mental stress is. There is a constant wave of depression. Mental stress led me to sleeplessness and overwhelming tiredness. It is very dangerous for anyone and can go on and on, months after months. I am trying to forget that shock, but the reality is still visible and unbearable. Thus, I decided to write and share my story, so that I can feel light and relieved. Stress made me feel devastated, but I try not overthinking and divert my mind somewhere else. I know it’s quite difficult, but I am trying to be content by being not cynical about it.

What advice do you have for Bangladeshi women who want to thrive and become a role model?

My advice to all the Bangladeshi woman would be to stay strong and positive, no matter what you face in life always try to stand still whenever you fall. Firstly, I would like to convey my message to the women out there who are studying engineering. It’s always good to know there’s a demand of engineering career everywhere around the world. So, don’t just think that who will hire me? Rather think, you can do ANYTHING, and excel in it. You just need to show the right aptitude, then nothing can stop you reaching your goals. Secondly, to the mom’s, who have faced an agony, try not to lose hope because hope can give you an opportunity to survive. It is normal to feel anxious, depressed, stressed as these are the part of the healing process.

Please provide your feedback about Starmums initiative.

I am thankful to Starmums for such a great initiative and asking me to contribute. I enjoyed writing and sharing my journey with you all.