LJ Herman is a former editor at Love What Matters and lives in Colorado. LJ is a concert, ticket and technology enthusiast. He has seen the Dave Mathews Band over one hundred times and counting.
‘While walking through Walmart, we noticed his body becoming swollen. ‘Do not go home. Do not stop. Go directly to the hospital.’: Child with Eosinophilic Esophagitis survives near-death staph infection
“His fever had gone up to 101.5 We are usually sent home with antibiotics and told to come back a few days later. This time was different. ‘You are lucky you came in when you did, because if you would have waited, he would be dead.’”
‘TWO flickering heartbeats. I should have been crying tears of joy, but instead I was still crying tears over the loss of our first baby, our fur baby.’: Couple struggles on the long road to twins, one with Down Syndrome
“My husband and I have been married for 6 years, and everything we have gone through from the moment we met just feels like such a tangled web of fate and destiny. I was born and raised in southwest Florida, and my husband, Josh, is from Ontario, Canada. Growing up, we made countless trips to …
‘My child sleeps in my bed instead of hers. We decided co-sleeping is best for our family. You weren’t there.’: Mom of autistic daughter urges family and friends not to judge
“You judged the accuracy of my child’s diagnosis, it hurts. Dear family, there is something you should know. You aren’t there; but I am.”
‘If you’re gonna hit me, just get it over with.’ She threatened to flush my head down the toilet’: Bullying victim urges understanding, ‘This is why they become bullies’
“I did absolutely nothing to her. I feared for my life. Years later, her sister and I bumped into each other, and we hung out. She told me about Elsa. She had been through hell.”
‘My heart dropped. WHAT? ‘You have to tell me now!’ I will never look at this photo and not remember.’ Mom receives fetal Down syndrome diagnosis,’I’m so blessed to be on this ‘wheel of life’
“Ten minutes after taking this picture, we’d receive the most memorable phone call of our lives. ‘Have you thought about what you’re going to do?’ Trisomy 21. He was cold and very matter-of-fact.”
‘Aly, you need to drive home.’ He never asked me to drive. He was supposed to walk me down the aisle.’: Daughter remembers father in beautiful way, ‘he’s my guiding star’
“He hunched over as if someone had punched him in the stomach. He saw how worried I was. ‘Aly, you need to drive the rest of the way home.’ I knew something was incredibly wrong. I am forever grateful for the 3 months I had with him.”
‘I woke up screaming. My husband was next to me sleeping. I kept saying to myself, ‘Just do the next thing.’: Mom comes to terms with mental health struggles, ‘This is anxiety’
“The doctor prescribed a liver cleanse. They weren’t listening. I was devastated. I told myself I was lazy. I called another doctor. Together we made a plan.”
‘Who is going to pay for them?’ The years brought 7 more kids. ‘Are you crazy?’ Maybe.’: Mom chooses to have large family, ‘We had less money, but more love’
“The amount of rude comments were astounding. ‘Don’t you know how that happens? How do you afford them? We couldn’t figure out why everyone saw having a big family as a negative.”
‘My mom was Rita. My sisters were Carla and Wendy.’ I wasn’t on the plane. My father got the phone call.’ Woman and and husband overcome grief together, ‘We chose to live’
“I met a guy recently orphaned, and left to care for his 21-year-old brother with special needs. My stepmother said, ‘He’ll never make anything of himself.’ I’m glad I didn’t listen.”
‘Was there a power failure that night?’ My brother and I are close, but not to the point of sharing baby-making plans.’: Mom tells amazing story about how surprise co-pregnancies resulted in ‘twousins’
“’Guess when our baby is due?’ I remember them asking with a smirk on their faces. I couldn’t believe it when they told me. What were the chances? From that moment, the race was on.”