“Who’d believe a little girl like me with such an evil disease would be SO GOOD. My mom called my dad and said, ‘Your daughter is winning, and not just by a little!’”
Becky Balfe
‘Mom, I want to join cross country!’ She looked confused. If your child had a life-threatening disease, you’d hesitate too.’: Runner with cystic fibrosis follows dream, ‘Giving up wasn’t an option’
‘An idea popped into my head which sounded CRAZY.’ ‘You are going to ruin your daughter’s life!’: Single mom builds loving home in van, ‘I want us to truly LIVE’’
“We don’t have NEARLY enough time on this planet to just waste our lives on what society says is the way to live.”
‘What if they don’t believe me?’ The surgeons had NO answers. I was labeled a ‘hypochondriac.’: Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome warrior becomes advocate, ‘The frustration fueled a fire in me’
“I could’ve lost my life. I think of the doctor who laughed at me. ‘You’re healthy!’ he’d say. I wanted to give up more times than I can count. But I NEVER wanted someone to walk in my shoes.”
‘Whatever it is, we can fix it.’ She was exceeding milestones, then she started regressing.’: Parents pass law to save others after losing daughter to Krabbe disease
“Justin asked, ‘Is she okay?’ They said, ‘Yes, she is perfect!’ We heard a knock on the door. Our world shattered. I prayed they’d find a cure.”
‘This never happens. You’re safe.’ Black women are FOUR times more likely to die during childbirth.’: Mom and baby beat odds, ‘Our bond is unbreakable
“She looked lifeless and was covered in wires. ‘You are so loved. I fought so hard to be with you.’ I soon became too weak to hold her. I realized I was bleeding. I tried to say, ‘Something’s wrong!’ but I passed out.”
‘I’m FINE!’ I heard my son call out. Something very wrong was happening. It was an out-of-body experience.’: Mom of 2 battles PPD, becomes advocate, ‘Motherhood shouldn’t be so hard’
“’I have 2 children under the age of 2. It’s not going to be easy.’ Up with the sun came an abrupt halt and the idyllic mom vanished.”
‘I HAD to find something! You need a stocking for Santa!’ I wiped my tears in fear of freaking him out.’: Gay man shares touching Christmas story with husband, ‘It was the beginning of our lives’
“It took years to recover. We packed my car and put all of the gifts in the back. ‘ What if my family was rude to him?’ To this day, it is so vivid.”
‘But my daughter needs me!’ I clung to walls and couldn’t focus my vision. ‘Something is VERY wrong.’: Brain cancer survivor discovers purpose, ‘I was fueled by my daughter’s love’’
“The doctor called .’You need to get treated immediately.’ My daughter was only 9. I couldn’t shake the feeling I was in trouble.”
‘That’s just the coke talking!’ I shook 5 Ambien into my hand. It had become a full-blown dragon.’: Former addict celebrates 20 years of sobriety. ‘I made the mess into a lesson’
“I didn’t think of prescription drugs as ‘drugs.’ I washed pills down with Amstel Light. I thought I was doing what I needed to do to sleep.”
‘She’s losing a LOT of blood.’ They took me, leaving my partner and baby behind, not knowing if I’d see them again.’: Mom survives post-birth hemorrhage, ‘Doctors and midwives saved my life’
“My husband saw them rushing with blood for my transfusion. They didn’t update him. He assumed the worst had happened.”
