“I let myself live in the land of denial for quite a long time. I allowed myself to live under the ‘she’s a preemie’ excuse as we began to notice delays. Surely she’d catch up.”
‘This can’t be happening. They can’t take our baby!’ We couldn’t just have ‘normal.’ Only 200 people in the WORLD have this.’: Special needs mom shares daughter’s journey, ‘Love is strong’
‘You don’t deserve better than him.’ I saw texts with a girl we both knew. My thoughts ate me alive.’: Woman diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder shares mental health journey, urges others to ‘accept help’
“‘How could I let this happen to me?’ My family looked so hurt. My mother, holding back tears, and my father, who is one of the bravest people I know, both looked terrified. My thoughts were eating me alive.”
‘People said, ‘I’d NEVER choose an older kid.’ We decided to take them permanently. They’re not just ‘damaged goods.’: Family adopt daughter from foster care, ‘I can rest knowing she is loved’
“‘Their current foster home is abusive.’ When we dropped them back off, she yelled at us for giving them haircuts. Most days, it felt like the system simply didn’t care to provide what was necessary. I can rest now, knowing she is loved.”
‘There’s a 92% chance.’ I had NO IDEA if we could handle it. But when we saw his almond-shaped eyes, our hearts were stolen.’: Mom births son with Down syndrome, ‘We are truly blessed’
“I had this perfect idea of what our lives would look like. I’ll never forget that phone call. ‘Your testing came back positive for Down Syndrome.’ I felt scared, but I also felt PEACE.”
‘He has a big birthmark on his face.’ I didn’t care at all. He was so perfect, I was in awe.’: Mom gives birth to baby with Port-Wine Stain, ‘Don’t let fear rule you’
“They highly suggested laser treatments. It was hard. SO hard. I would hear him cry, scream, and even hold his breath. ‘I need to know he’s safe.’ We needed something different.”
‘I was a failure as a woman and a wife. I had to ‘fix’ what was wrong. Then it all became clear. ‘Oh gosh, this is it.’: Woman shares touching adoption story, ‘She is ours and we are hers’
“‘What if I don’t feel anything when I see her?’ I was dealing with uncertainty. We arrived 12 hours after she was born.”
‘BAM!’ There it was, not a soft let down, but a sucker punch. ‘That’s it, I’m taking you to the hospital.’: Woman beats Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, ‘I learned what was really important in life’
“I was the youngest at the doctor’s by 30 years. My pain got worse. I heard my husband cry for me in the hallway.”
‘We have a 2-year-old with significant abuse. We found man-made cages where they believe he was kept.’ I wanted to love on this poor boy, and make him feel safe.’: Foster mom says ‘with difficulty comes unimaginable beauty’
“Completely out of the blue, my husband asked, ‘What do you think about being a foster family?’ I wanted to be a mom for as long as I can remember.”
‘My biology teacher said, ‘You’re lying. There’s no way you’d be alive without a pancreas.’ I held back tears, mortified. She accused me of my disease not being real.’: Diabetic woman details journey, ‘Our stories need to be heard’
“She tried to embarrass me in front of the class. ‘You’re wrong. I know what was done to my body.’ The room grew quiet as I sat there in shock. She accused me of my disease not being real. I knew right then and there I needed to make a change.”
‘I tipped over, slamming my head. ‘I can’t see anything!’ The doctor said, ‘Your life will be less fulfilling now.’: Multiple Sclerosis warrior recounts journey, support from husband
“She asked me to read the top line with the largest print. I told her, ‘I can’t see it.’ I could hardly mutter the words as tears filled my eyes and streamed down my face. My internal panic set in.”