Rebecca Balfe is a former editor for Love What Matters. She resides in NYC, owning and rescuing adorable cats. She is an avid Lupus fighter and advocate.
‘Take your son and I’ll find you, trust me, I’ll find you.’ He held a gun to me while pregnant.’: Mom learns ‘self-defense’ as black belt after ‘surviving’ domestic abuse, urges women to know there is ‘a better life’
“Then came my escape. It was tricky, but I planned it well. My father was dying of brain cancer, and my husband had beaten me for going to my father’s funeral. It was time. I finally had a chance to escape with my child. You are worth fighting for. I need to let others know – there is an escape, a better life.”
‘He has what? Will he walk? Talk?’ I mourned the life we were supposed to have.’: Mom gave up on ‘life she imagined’ as son battles undiagnosed genetic disorder, eye condition
“The more severe cases pass away by the age of 1. ‘What? Pass away? Not my child.’ I was devastated I wasn’t going to have the life I imagined. But there is such power in accepting this new life.”
‘Mom, I’m sick of you helping me put my clothes on!’ It’s not natural to do this at my age.’: Young woman describes ‘frustration’ with dressing after being paralyzed, helps others ‘find independence’
“‘I can’t get these, they have buttons!’ I’m like a rag doll when she pulls my arms through my shirt. I still have paralysis in my shoulders, arms, and right hand. I’ve only dressed myself for about 4 years of my whole life. It’s time that comes to an end.”
‘What the hell did you do!’ He looked at me. ‘You’ll likely be planing a funeral.’: Mom describes years of ‘medical issues’ with son, but he still ‘beats all odds’
“’We did find a few things wrong.’ They rushed him into emergency surgery. ‘There’s something wrong with the baby’s heart.’ Once again, we were faced with the possibility of not bringing him home. Once again, he beat all the odds and baffled all the doctors.”
‘I couldn’t ‘let the holy spirit take over.’ I questioned God. I believe more than just ‘my kind’ are making it into Heaven.’: Young man feels ‘hurt, anger’ at God after his mom’s death
“I wondered where my mom wound up. I was hurt, I felt anger but I don’t know if I was ever actually angry at God directly. I was angry at my situation. I wondered why I had lost my mom and my dad by 14.”
‘The doctor sat down and began to cry. ‘It could be nothing,’ she said. But we knew it was something.’: Mom describes shock of finding out her son’s ‘life-changing’ genetic disease
“One of the nurses came in the room and said to me, ‘If you guys were my kids, I would tell you to go straight to the children’s hospital. Something is wrong with your baby.”
‘Gah, you are so skinny! I hate you! Don’t you eat? Just go get a hamburger!’: Woman describes how much ‘hate’ she felt for her body after being ‘skinny shamed’
“I had what people wanted! I was what Hollywood told everyone they should strive to be but inside I was hurting. I didn’t want to be hated.”
‘That’s it, I’m going to write a suicide note and be dead by Monday.’ I’d already attempted once by taking 90 Benadryl.’: 14-year-old describes feeling ‘no one cared,’ his life was ‘worthless’
“I got home and checked an Instagram group chat I was involved in and saw everyone thought I was actually dead for 4 days. It made me sad because at the time I didn’t think anyone cared and I felt everyone would be better off without me.”
‘You’re in early labor. You’d be crawling on the ground reaching for drugs otherwise.’: Mom encourages women to ‘find their voice’ during childbirth after ‘begging’ husband not to let hospital send her home
“I was given an examination and told I was only 3 centimeters dilated. At this stage I was already starting to feel sweaty and sick at the thought of this pain for days. I couldn’t even fathom it. I thought she had to be joking.”
‘I’m sorry but you have bowel cancer.’ My head was spinning. I’m too young! I just beat testicular cancer!’ Army Captain talks about beating the odds TWICE, asks doctor if he has the right person
“After leaving the doctor’s room, I smiled at the receptionist, walked to my car, and burst into tears. I felt alone. I felt lost. I felt so vulnerable. I knew I had a long journey ahead, and at the time, I was frightened.”