“‘We witnessed a little girl in a purple wheelchair being shaken and yelled at.’ That little girl was Melissa. Sometimes life leads you in the right direction at the right time.”
Emily Richey
‘The doctor said, ‘If you buy a toaster and it’s smashed, you know it won’t work.’ We were SPEECHLESS. We had to find a new ‘normal.’: Daughter born with Microcephaly, ‘She’s made AMAZING progress’
‘He’ll have severe disabilities.’ Each smile is priceless. We have an even greater appreciation for the ‘little things.’: Mom advocates for son with undiagnosed condition, ‘He’s one of a kind’
“Our 6-week-old son lay in a hospital bed next to us, all hooked up. The prognosis was grim. Watching your child have seizure after seizure, knowing there’s nothing you can do, is gut-wrenching. He might not understand what’s happening, but he’s so strong.”
‘This isn’t living. It’s merely surviving.’ I was totally bed-bound. I was a shadow of the person I used to be.’: Woman with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome says ‘I appreciate every single second’
“The apartment above mine had a leak. My bedroom was full of black mold. They ‘cleaned’ it by painting over it. I gave up. 2 months later, I couldn’t get out of bed. I desperately searched for answers.”
‘Hey look, it’s Two-Face!’ I’d come to school with purple burn dots. I felt like I was going through the pain for others.’: Woman with Sturge Weber Syndrome becomes advocate, ‘We aren’t scary monsters or villains’
“I was held down, screaming for them to stop. With each snap, a dot was burned onto the skin to break up the blood vessels of the birthmark. It was then I walked away from the world of wanting to look like everyone else.”
‘I ran barefoot down the street. My little boy was lying in the road. He looked so precious, like he was sleeping. Then I saw the blood.’: 12-year-old suffers traumatic brain injury, ‘He’s our miracle’
“I ran out to the helipad. I could see his sweet little nose, the dimple in his chin. He had dried blood on the side of his face but he looked peaceful. ‘Baby, you’re going to be okay. Jesus is with you.’ I had faith.”
‘We either need to end things or get married.’ I was completely blind to what she was doing. I thought I’d found my forever.’: Domestic violence survivor urges ‘you will find love’
“I was blinded by my affection. I found myself escaping into the stairwell to cry, several times a day for weeks. I purchased makeup to cover the bruises, but it slowly wore me out. I could no longer pretend I was okay.”
‘No one hugged me and said, ‘Congratulations!’ I celebrated silently. I felt like I’d messed up the timeline.’: Single mom navigates motherhood, ‘Unplanned doesn’t mean unwanted’
“I sat on my bathroom floor alone in my apartment at 3:00 a.m. ‘There’s no way!’ I wanted to smile, touch my belly, and be excited, but I was scared. I spent the entire first trimester worried about what everyone else thought.”
‘We think you have depression.’ I felt like a freak. What would people say? I thought no one could ‘fix’ me.’: Woman becomes mental health advocate, ‘This is my purpose’
“I started skipping classes. My family called me, but I ignored them. I didn’t actually know what depression was. All I knew about it were the cheesy commercials advertising anti-depressants. I felt ashamed of myself.”
‘It’s okay, Mommy, just breeaathe.’ My toddler was mirroring my emotions. I knew we were onto something.’: Mom creates ‘peaceful habits’ during pandemic, ‘Focus on what matters most’
“I felt like I was drowning. I needed to up my self-care game or I’d lose it. We were not the only ones experiencing these challenges. I was definitely not alone! It was time to share the discoveries we’d made.”
‘If it happens, it happens.’ I stared at the negative test. I was right, but it still stung. My body had betrayed me.’: Endometriosis warrior shares motherhood journey, ‘My dream came true’
“There was a HUGE chance I’d never get pregnant. My hands were shaking. I turned the test over. ‘Wait, what?’ After seeing negative after negative, you don’t think you’ll ever see a positive.”
