These Mothers Will Go Down In History For Being #MegaMoms, Here’s Why

In 2006, in Ivujivik, Quebec, Lydia Angyiou was on a walk with her two sons. After hearing the frantic yells of some nearby children, Angyiou realized a 700-pound polar bear had its eyes on her young son. Her instincts kicked in instantly, and she lunged at the bear while shouting to her kids to run. She began wrestling the animal while the children escaped to safety, then the bear started fighting back. It smacked her in the face, then jumped on top of her. Angyiou says she began defending herself by kicking the bear like she was peddling on a bike. Luckily, by this point, a passing local hunter, Siqualuk Ainalik, was alerted to the scene and was able to rescue the supermom.

Unfortunately the bear didn’t make it out alive, but the situation could have led to multiple deaths of both human and animal, so the fact that Angyiou, her sons, Ainalik, and the nearby children survived is a blessing. Angyiou was rushed to hospital where, miraculously, she only suffered from a black eye and a few scratches. The fact that such a large animal was overpowered by such a slight human being really tells you everything you need to know about the power of motherhood. Fight or Flight really kicked in with Lydia Angiyou, and boy did she fight. Later, the governor general awarded her the Canadian Medal of Bravery for her selfless fearlessness and quick thinking.

There have been great developments in the doll world ever since Barbie got her first job, and diversity in toys has steadily been getting better. Dolls are a young child's transition from the world of fantasy into the real world, and one of the most important factors in creating a good doll is making sure your target audience is represented well in the toy line. It's good for a child's development not only to see themselves be represented in terms of race, body shape, ability, and so on, but also see other children in them, too.

Enter Queen Cee, the mother of five who sought to add even more diversity to the doll world. As many of these stories begin, Cee's origin starts with not being able to find a doll that resembled her daughter. Though Black dolls exist, they're harder to find, and many toy lines refuse to create dark-skinned dolls, or dolls that have Black features that go beyond skin color. Cee's doll line, Herstory, contains tons of different dolls that range from Muslim girls with hijabs, to African American girls with textured hair.

In 2012, a devastating tornado ripped through the town of Henryville, Indiana. Recorded as a 175 mph F4 tornado, Stephanie Decker and her two kids were caught in the twister, taking shelter in their basement. Unfortunately, as the wind began to pick up, the entire house started to fall apart. The windows broke, pieces of furniture flew through the yard, and soon the foundations of the house began to break down.

Decker took action immediately and wrapped her children in a blanket, laying down on top of them for protection. The outlook was not good, and Decker had to watch in horror as a 20-foot beam from the foundation started falling toward her. The pillar was falling in the direction of her daughter, so with all her strength and determination, Decker managed to block the beam, having her legs crushed in the process. She also had a lung punctured, and broke eight ribs. Decker now walks with the use of prosthetics, but she doesn't regret a thing. Both children made it out safely, and Decker is still as active as ever. She went on to create the Stephanie Decker Foundation to support children with prosthetics (mostly in sport), as well as tornado relief.

Rotem Elnatan, a young boy who uses a wheelchair, was given a second shot at walking thanks to his mother Debby. When her son was 2 years old, after being diagnosed with cerebral palsy, his mother was told he wouldn't be able to walk. With this news, she tried to physically walk him with her own body, causing a lot of strain for them both. With Rotem having his legs buckle beneath him, and his mother experiencing arm pain, it was clear that sheer willpower alone was not going to get her son to walk. Despite this setback, she kept the idea that she could help Rotem walk by essentially walking for him.