“I still could barely move. ‘What on earth was she thinking having a baby?’ None of it mattered to me. I was too busy in love with my little miracle.”
‘My mom was told I’d never have a normal life. I was never going to have kids and would be deaf by 16.’: Woman with Osteogenesis Imperfecta defies odds to have miracle baby boy
‘She has her differences, but she is still our little girl.’: Mom shares daughter’s rare Nager Syndrome diagnosis journey
“How could this be happening when everything had been so normal for the last 34 weeks? Concerned. That word still haunts me. We were almost done with the pregnancy, and to just find out something was abnormal was tough to process.”
‘After going through that miscarriage, I resolved to never ‘try’ or even pray to have another baby ever again.’: Miscarriage survivor welcomes rainbow twins, one with Down Syndrome
“’What if no one accepts our babies?’ Mark looked me right in the eye and said, ‘WE will accept our babies! We will love them just like we would any other baby, and Lyndi will love them both just as much. This is our little family. They will be perfect!’”
‘Life was fun until my mother passed away. Suddenly, at 11, I had to care for my 4 younger siblings.’: Abuse survivor shares foster care experience, POTS diagnosis
“I received my 11th concussion playing volleyball. Previously, I had 10 concussions from child abuse. My comorbidities and symptoms increased to the point I had to take mandatory bed rest.”
‘My son would have grown up knowing I died from a disease I’d passed on to him.’: Woman with rare disease shares heartbreaking decision to abort
“I wanted my baby so badly. I wanted his ten little toes. I wanted to see those blue eyes and the thick black hair he had to have. But then I thought of him watching me waste away as I watched my own father waste away, knowing I had chosen the same fate for him.”
‘I had a 1 in 10 chance of making it. I started planning my funeral and heartfelt goodbyes.’: Woman bikes 3,428 miles for awareness after surviving womb cancer
“I want to show everyone newly diagnosed, there is life after cancer. It is possible to survive, regardless of a poor prognosis. Hold on to hope, believe in miracles, and look for things in life that make you happy.”
It’s Time To Stop Treating People With Disabilities Like Mythical Creatures
“Society has decided what I can and can’t do. Society has decided I am a fragile creature incapable of looking out for myself. We are yearning to be heard and understood. Instead of looking to us for inspiration, why not find ways to empower us?”
‘I see twins. IDENTICAL twins.’ I let all the air out of my lungs and quietly said, ‘WHAT?’: First-time mom navigates surprise pregnancy, medically complex child
“My husband comes home. I vaguely remember saying I had interesting news. He says to me, ‘What news?’ I go, ‘I’M PREGNANT.’ Husband looks at me, hugs me, and says, ‘OK! We are having a kid!’ I then say, ‘BUT it’s identical twins.’ Husband says, ‘Oh sh*t.'”
‘Stop allowing people’s opinions steer the direction in your life.’: Young woman’s inspiring journey to living life unapologetically
“When you end your 7-year relationship, call off your wedding a month before the date, drop 80 pounds, pack your entire life into 2 suitcases, and start traveling the world solo. Sometimes, getting unstuck involves being uncomfortable and embracing uncertainty.”
‘Mommy, will the new baby be autistic?’ asked my 7-year-old. ‘We’re so lucky to have Koimburi!’: Special needs mom moved to tears after daughter’s sweet moment of inclusivity
“I’d racked my brain for all the reasons she was asking. Was she hoping for a different kind of connection than with her autistic brother? A different kind of play experience with her new sibling? Tears welled in my eyes, moved by her matter-of-fact, whole-hearted acceptance.”