The idea for this data story came from a personal experience. Our founder Evelina got pregnant in January of this year. Her husband and her were impatient to welcome their first child. But things didn’t go according to plan. During the sixth month of pregnancy, their unborn baby daughter was diagnosed with severe spina bifida—a malformation of the spine that leads to life-long disabilities. What followed was heartbreak and termination of the pregnancy.
Turns out, they were far from being alone. In many countries, up to 1 in 1,000 pregnancies are affected by spina bifida. But before this diagnosis knocked at their door, they had never heard of it. So, with the team at Parabole Studio, we decided to change that in the best way we know how— through data storytelling.
