Gisèle Béatrice Sonfack: a scientist and mother shares her story
By Emilie Tournie, Published on
Because becoming a mother is not always an easy journey, Gisèle Béatrice Sonfack, a 42-year-old scientist and mother of two children living in La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin, near Orléans (Loiret), wished to share her story, her fears, and the difficulties she faced during her pregnancies, as well as the premature birth of her second son, through her book “L’enfant des possibles: un voyage à travers la résilience”.
“I have a somewhat atypical journey”: a female scientist
Originally from the small village of Fongo-Tongo in Cameroon, Gisèle grew up in a modest family.
“I have an atypical journey. I got a degree in electrical engineering and then pursued several masters in the same field. After that, I went to South Korea to train as a trainer in the electro-technical field.”
She earned her PhD in the United States and worked in a solar company in Silicon Valley.
“I returned to Cameroon because after all that journey, I felt I had things to contribute to the development of my country. I worked as a teacher at the University, and then as a technical director at the port terminal in Douala.”
Fascinated by innovation, she applied for the Schlumberger Foundation Prize (awarded to female scientists to support them in their work) – while focusing her research on smart electrical networks.
Obtained in 2021, she continued her research in signal processing at the PRISM laboratory at Polytechnique Orléans, until the end of 2023.
Two complicated pregnancies
Today a mother of two boys, Gisèle had her first child in 2019, before coming to France.
“He was born prematurely due to placental abruption. He had to undergo surgery and was very small at 1,180 grams. It was traumatic because he had to go through the neonatal unit in Cameroon.”
Fortunately, this boy is now in primary school and healthy. During her second pregnancy, Gisèle hoped for a normal maternity experience but that was not the case. Due to various issues, the medical interruption of pregnancy was advised, both in Cameroon and in France.
“I was told the pregnancy was polymalformative and if the child was born, he could have major deformities,” she explains. Refusing to do so, she persevered and carried the pregnancy to term.
Despite many health problems, she eventually gave birth to a little boy. “He weighed 790 grams. He left the neonatal unit after three months there. We came back home, and he continued to develop. He’s a ball of energy now. He will be two years old on April 25.”
A book to share her story
After going through all this, Gisèle wanted to share her journey in a personal development book. Titled “L’enfant des possibles: un voyage à travers la résilience”, it was published by Editions Baudelaire.
“I know many parents suffer from this. It’s a situation that destroys families. It was difficult but it allowed me to discover myself, meet extraordinary people, and give a different meaning to what we experience. I wanted to write because I’m not the only one who has gone through this,” she explains.
The real message she wanted to convey? “Anything is possible, even in the most serious situations”. After this first book, it is worth noting that the scientist is currently working on a second book.
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