Emily Richey is a graduate of Pace University NYC. She has written and edited for multiple online platforms, including Love What Matters. She spends her free time petting stray cats.
‘We lost 12 babies. 7 years is a very long time. Most couples we know now have 2 or 3 kids.’: Couple advocate for other bereaved parents, ‘We continue to fight’
“I go from being fine one moment to full-blown labor.”
‘That’s so sad.’ But we are NOT sad. I just wanted to squeeze him so hard and run right out of there.’: Autism mom says ‘His diagnosis is actually his superpower’
“My mind was racing with what to do next. I don’t know why it was so hard for me to make the appointment. I carried him in with his favorite blanket in hopes it will make everything better. He was actually diagnosed with a superpower.”
‘OF COURSE the doctor knows more than me.’ An alarm went off in my head. We didn’t want to hand her over.’: Mom advocates for baby with Down syndrome, ‘She taught me to use my voice’
“Our baby’s heels were full of cuts from blood draws. We were battling low blood sugar, jaundice, and feeding issues. We spent that week walking around like zombies. She had no idea what was coming, but we did.”
‘What if I can’t do this?’ I would wake up in the night, wracked with sobs. I leaped into the unknown.’: Mom says daughter with Down syndrome is ‘my greatest, most compassionate teacher’
“Her voice was full of pity. ‘One in nine.’ The electricity of paralyzing grief that overcame my body on that day is something I still have difficulty putting into words. But as I cradled her tiny body close for the first time, I felt a wave of peace.”
‘Your heart is abnormal.’ I sent emails for a month with no reply. I already fainted at work and threw up blood.’: Woman with congenital heart defect shares struggles, ‘Keep fighting, warriors’
“I was constantly having hot flashes. I ended up throwing up blood and fainted at work. ’Go to Urgent Care.’ They weren’t really sure what was causing my problems. I was constantly waiting in the doctor’s office to get bad news.”
‘I’m scared he’s going to die.’ The receptionist cheerily asked me to choose some photos of our son. I couldn’t.’: Mom gives birth to baby born sleeping, ‘He’s a part of our family’
“I was preparing myself to hear the words, ‘I’m sorry but there’s no heartbeat.’ Rather, I was met with, ‘There’s your baby.’ There was so much joy in the room. Everything changed in a matter of minutes.”
‘I think this will break me.’ I lost 2 liters of blood. My reality is other women’s worst nightmare.’: Woman experiences multiple miscarriages, ‘I will survive anything’
“I am the woman other women say, ‘I’m so sorry’ and ‘I can’t imagine’ to. I fainted at home and the ambulance had to be called. I don’t think I understood how strong I could be.”
‘How can something this terrible exist?’ He had a fever for 105 days. This is our new reality.’: After son’s Sanfilippo Syndrome diagnosis, family raises money for cure, ‘Time is precious’
“Carter went from speaking two-word sentences to having his vocabulary drop to less than ten words. ‘He’s 3 and not potty trained?’ I laughed, ‘Oh, you know boys.’ Our sweet, joyful little boy did a complete 180 before our very eyes.”
‘It’s just first-time mom anxiety.’ I was insistent something was wrong. The hours were unnecessarily traumatic.’: Mom mourns loss of baby born sleeping, ‘He came to heal parts of my soul’
“The nurse lectured me about being active and eating healthy, even though I could clearly see the box of Twinkies on her desk. I made three separate trips to the ER for bleeding. The doctor said, ‘There is nothing to be done now.’”
‘He already called 911, begging for help. ‘That idiot is in the hospital. He probably broke his leg.’: Woman loses husband to alcoholism, ‘I’m still healing’
“He used to say to me, ‘Why can’t I stop at one drink?’ It plagued him. He drank. Then he drank a little more. I grabbed the essentials and I left. I thought I was making the best choice possible.”