The story of the unbelievable "cryptic pregnancy" of Lynn Alfie, perhaps the most intriguing contestant who entered the "Big Brother" house with great fanfare this week, began one night in December 2021, at the end of an innocent outing. In those dramatic moments, Alfie never imagined what a turn her life was about to take, and never imagined that what was happening in her body would surprise her and change her status completely.
"I was with my girlfriends when suddenly the poppy came out in my stomach. It was a strange sight. I called my dad anxiously and said, 'Dad, my poppy is out,'" she says for the first time. "I went to an emergency clinic for an examination, and at first they thought it was an umbilical fracture. They sent me to a surgical emergency room at a hospital, where they recommended that I undergo surgery."
In those days you were a soldier.
"That's right, so I had to start the medical process with the army, which gave me a week of retirement. After rest, I went out to a restaurant with my friends, and when I got home, my stomach suddenly started to ache. I took a pain pill and went back to sleep. The pill didn't help me, and the pain only got worse. At some point, the pain became unbearable, until I actually started screaming. My father immediately took me to the hospital.
"The doctor there looked at me like I was an alien. She took me to the ER, where they told me I was actually in active labor. It all happened so fast. They gave me a robe, injected me with an epidural - and put me in labor. I started screaming and cursing from the pressure, and my mother fainted."
It's hard to believe that for nine months you didn't know you were pregnant.
"True, but I didn't have a bulging stomach. I was bleeding all the time, but I thought my body was just reacting to conditions that had changed in the army, I believed it was menstruation. In the army I was a fighter, and I thought that everything that happened to me was actually the result of what I was going through in training and in the field. I also had stressful and dehydration situations, and everything connected to me as a fighter."
"They gave me antibiotics"
Alfie (20) was born and raised in Herzliya, the daughter of Dana and Celi, members of a well-known family in the city that deals with locks ("We are famous in Herzliya on the level that I tell my father to get up and run for mayor"). After studying at HaYovel High School and playing handball, she enlisted in the IDF as a combat soldier in ground defense.
"The beginning of the service was fun and experiential, with terrain and fields. Later I went to a course in Beersheba, where the conditions changed and it was very hot. I started to feel unwell. Suddenly I had panic attacks and strange situations, but I didn't consider it important and continued to cope. I'd do whatever it took, and if anything hurt I'd take a pill and keep going."
Did you complain about your situation to the commanders?
"Yes, I would go to the clinics, say I wasn't feeling well - and in the procedure they would give me painkillers. It continued like that until I finished the course and moved to my regular base. For the first few weeks there, I felt relatively fine, even in terms of anxiety, until at a certain point my legs started to hurt and swell, at a level I couldn't step."
And the doctors still haven't been able to diagnose what you're suffering from?
"They gave me antibiotics or painkillers, and if I was weak they would tell me, 'I guess you're dehydrated.' That's how it was for six months."
At the entrance to the "Big Brother" house, this week. "I come in to go through an experience, to get to know myself and realize myself", Photo: Oren Ben Hakon
As mentioned, after a few months it became clear that throughout the challenging period she went through, Alfie was actually carrying a baby in her womb. She is currently in the midst of legal proceedings with the Ministry of Defense, alleging alleged negligence on the part of the IDF in diagnosing her condition.
To suddenly discover that you are pregnant is a shocking moment.
"The moment I realized what was happening wasn't easy for me. I became stressed. I remember asking myself what would happen to my life, how my father would react. The worst thing was that at that point I didn't want the girl at all."
Have you seriously considered giving it up?
"I wanted to continue my life on the path I had planned. I told myself I'd rather give up the child, because it wasn't right for me to suddenly be a mother. I know it sounds harsh, but it was a black-screen moment. Everything was emotional and stressful. I didn't really think and understand what was going on at all."
"I didn't think about pregnancy, because my stomach didn't stick out. I did have bleeding, but I thought my body was responding to changing conditions in the army. As a fighter, I thought it was because of what I was going through in training and on the field. The stressful and dehydration situations also connected me to the situation of a fighter."
What made you finally change your mind?
"My father, who calmed me down. He told me that everyone loved me and would support me, and that everything was fine. He found a sane and calm place, and that helped me cope."
You mention your father constantly.
"I'm a daddy's girl. I am the eldest, and he always nurtured me and took care of me. Always watching over me, checking and hugging. He's a very good friend of mine."
Were you worried that he would alienate you and your granddaughter?
"Nope. I always knew he had a cotton ball heart and wouldn't give up on us." .
"I'm a bit of a girl myself"
From the birth itself she does not remember much. "Being so engrossed in thinking about so many things, I don't even remember if it hurt. After the birth, I was transferred to a maternity hospital, where I began to digest the situation and outdo myself. I realized it was my moment to take responsibility. I was officially discharged from the army after ten months. I arrived at the farewell event they did there with the girl. For me, it was an exciting closure."
She gave her daughter, now a year and a half old, the name Ella. "The moments when I kept her, in the ward, were the first ones when I really realized I was a mother. Suddenly, I'm feeding the baby. I was very worried that I had hurt her development, because I didn't save during the period like a pregnant woman should, but thankfully she was born healthy and she's okay."
Why did you choose the name Ella?
"A commander came to visit me at the hospital and asked what I would like to call the girl. I told him I didn't have time to think about a name. He asked why not 'Ella', explaining that it was the name of the unit he commanded. It sounded beautiful to me, I immediately connected to it."
How did you acclimatize to life as a new mother?
"My parents helped me a lot and were there for me, without them I wouldn't have been able to lift myself up. They bought me and the baby everything, arranged a comfortable corner of the house for her, and my mother even took a month off work. Without her help, this wouldn't have happened."
It crosses your mind what would have happened if you had decided to hand these over?
"I couldn't live with it in peace and move on with my life as if nothing had happened. That's not me. It took me a long time to get to a place where I feel like I'm doing my best for Ella, to realize that I'm a mother. Do not forget that I myself am a bit of a girl. To this day, I don't have an organized job, but in the midst of it all, I give the best I can.
"I embrace and invest a lot of time in these. We sleep together and travel together. We have a lot of fun moments. I'm not a 40-year-old mom who sets boundaries, but maybe it will come later. Right now I'm mostly working on giving her the best."
The girl's father is Hadar Matzliach (26), from Ramat Hasharon, who was Alfie's partner for four years. These days he is in regular contact with his daughter, with Alfie in the "Big Brother" house. "Lynn told me a month ago that she was coming into the house, and it didn't speak to me as much, but I told her, 'Mommy, go and do what's good.' I'm a deadly father and a deadly man."
With the father of her daughter, Hadar succeeds. "He responded very well,"
Lynn: "Hadar responded to his fatherhood very well. Not abandoned. He came to the birth, and on the name of the baby we both agreed together. In the meantime, we parted. Two months after giving birth, I realized that I wanted time alone, to focus on myself and figure out what I wanted to do. I recalculated my route."
Why?
"The whole new situation was very emotional, and I wasn't ready to suddenly move in with him and become a full-time mother. I felt it was big on me, so I wanted to stop everything and figure out what I wanted. We are in touch, and Hadar is in the picture and sees the girl. I love and respect him. I try to be the best with him, especially for the sake of those."
"The baby cried when I went"
Two months ago, Alfie's life took another turn, when the production of "Big Brother" (Network 13) found it difficult to ignore her extraordinary story - and invited her to audition.
"At first I didn't know what to answer," she says of the hesitation. "Of course I went to Abush, to consult with him, and he told me: 'Give it a try, why not?'
"From the audition itself, I left feeling that it was terrible, and I had already given up on it. I thought they didn't connect with my story, but I guess I just didn't believe in myself. Later I was called for more auditions, until I made it to the final stage. Now I'm talking to you from the isolation before entering the Big Brother house (the season officially launched this week on Tuesday)."
Why do you even want to be there?
"I come in to go through an experience, to get to know myself and realize myself, but the main thing in front of my eyes is the story I bring, which is not easy. I want them to know him and hear him from me, once and for all. It's a difficult story to share in front of people because there are a lot of judgments, opinions and criticisms that aren't always easy and fun to accept."
I guess along the way you also want to be famous.
"I have a strong TikTok and Instagram, and if I'm going to go, then until the end."
Do you share your story on dates?
"It's a place where it's very hard for me to tell. I don't show up for a date and immediately share. I need to know the guy, trust him - and only then. It doesn't come from a place of shame, but from a place of fear and defensiveness. What happened to me is not routine, and I admit that I'm tired of being in this situation."
"In the firehouse, I won't get along with people who will be looking all day for a fight. The army really matured me, and so did the mothers. Will I have a relationship at home? I have a lot of respect for my father, and he wouldn't want to see me on screen with anyone. But I'm not ruling anything out."
In the fireplace house, you may stay away from these for a long time.
"The most I left her until now was for five days, when I went abroad. I'm sure it would be hard without her. It's not easy to suddenly disconnect from everything. I'm doing it for her, too, and I hope to stay as strong as I can. As I know myself, I think I'll have a lot of breakups in the house being filmed."
How did you say goodbye to her before going into quarantine?
"I hugged her, got her ready for kindergarten, we chatted a little and laughed. Later, in the garden, I stayed with her for breakfast. When I left, she cried a little bit, because I think she felt like I was going for a potentially long time."
In the fireplace, will you be open to a relationship?
"I have a lot of respect for myself, my home and my father. But I don't rule anything out. Let's see what happens."
Who won't you get along with?
"With people who are looking to fight all day, or with people who don't do anything. I used to not do dishes and laundry, but the army really matured and changed me, and of course so did the mothers. Today I do much more, because I have no choice. Even people who seek to cause conflict won't do me any good."
Who were your favorites last season?
"I really liked Talia Ovadia and connected to Bar Cohen's story."
They ended up occupying the top two.
"I also see myself reaching distant stages, but I wouldn't want to open here."
erans@israelhayom.co.il
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