Embracing: My Name

Dr. Praise Matemavi is one of our all-time favs. Her story from teen mom to transplant surgeon never gets old and went viral on our site back in 2018. She is exemplary in many ways. When she’s not flying across America harvesting organs and saving lives, she’s teaching students as the associate professor of surgery at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. When she’s not doing that, she’s empowering women and girls. In fact, she is gearing up to release her new podcast, She Ready to Bloom, this Mother’s Day.

We figured who better to ask this month’s burning question than our favourite transplant surgeon. So, we did!

What is something about yourself that you once wished you could change, but you now embrace as part of you?

Something I wished I could change was my name. Growing up, I did not like my name at all – Praise. Even though in Africa it’s not an uncommon name, it’s not very common either. So whenever something happened, or I got into trouble, everyone knew it was me because there were not many people who had my name.

I just wanted to be ordinary, and I wanted a common name – something simple like Susan, or something like that.

What was the turning point?

I always thought that when I turned 18 or 19, I would change my name. But somehow, through the challenges that I went through – being a teenage mother and then just seeing God work in my life, I embraced my name. I loved my name, and it really showed me that our names are prophetic. Part of my purpose here on earth is to continuously praise the Lord every day of my life. So that’s really when I made it a part of me. I embraced it, I loved it, and now that’s what I do. My name is Praise, and I continuously praise the Lord.

The Dark Side of My Knees

Want to share what you’ve learned to love about yourself this April? We’d love to hear it! Email us at info@theweightshecarries.com.