Actress Sharon Stone recently shared why she’s glad that she chose motherhood over her Hollywood career.
“I’m grateful that I chose motherhood as a healthy approach to my life and that I didn’t prioritize Hollywood, she told PEOPLE, “because [Hollywood] certainly didn’t prioritize me.”
“I’m grateful that I chose the things that I did choose,” she added, referring to her adopted sons Roan, 23, Laird, 18, and Quinn, 17.
Stone previously shared with British Vogue that she “found out I was going to be a parent the day after I lost my child.”
The actress had experienced a series of miscarriages. After leaving the hospital after her final attempt at having a baby naturally, she received a call from an adoption lawyer.
‘“I felt as if God was throwing me a life raft,” she wrote. “Six weeks later, I listened over the phone to my son Roan being born, in keeping with the terms of our closed adoption. From the moment I held him, I was in awe.”
Stone lost her acting career in 2001 when a brain injury left her with a one percent chance of living. While she miraculously recovered, producers were unwilling to pick her up on any projects due to her “stuttering” and memory loss.
“I lost everything,” she said. “I lost all my money. I lost custody of my child. I lost my career. I lost all those things that you feel are your real identity and your life.”
“I never really got most of it back,” she continued, “but I’ve reached a point where I’m okay with it, where I really do recognize that I’m enough.”
While Stone has since recovered and has a strong acting career, she now cares less about being a celebrity. She uses her platform to raise awareness about and encourage those living with a neurological disorder.
“She’s an inspiration to those who suffer from anything neurological,” said Dr. Michael Lawton, the doctor who saved Stone’s life.
“I’m grateful for the wisdom that comes with age,” Stone stated. “I’m grateful for all that my life has given me: the highs and the lows. I’m especially grateful for the love and light my children bring into my life.”