“I spent every night before bed rocking them and reassuring them, ‘You’re safe. I won’t let anything happen. We’re here to protect you.’”
Sonia Beltz
‘Have you given ANY thought to how it affects us?’ What about your CHILDREN?’ We took in 3 siblings. It was worth it.’: Mom shares foster journey, ‘Every bit of love makes a difference’
‘You have to work harder because of skin color.’ There was NO ONE like me in my classes. I’m changing the narrative.’: Transracial adoptee reflects on ‘reclaiming’ her culture, ‘I’m not alone anymore’
“I wasn’t ‘Latina enough’ to befriend kids at school. My white peers would say things like ‘I don’t see color,’ which made me feel like I was on both sides of the coin. I tried DESPERATELY to fit in and be accepted.”
‘There’s some bad news regarding your blood work.’ They spent 12 HOURS on his spine. We weren’t sure he’d ever crawl. But he DID.’: Mom births baby with spina bifida, ‘He completes us’
“He may have a disability, but Tommy is capABLE of anything. His happiness, love of life, and laughter is something which will forever bring smiles to the face of anyone he meets. He is our ANGEL.”
‘I COULDN’T let him down. The biggest brown eyes popped out at me. We took in every detail of his face.’: Couple adopts, has surprise pregnancy, ‘I love them equally, forever’
“I must have pulled that pregnancy test out of the trash 16 times to make sure I wasn’t making it up. ‘I’m pregnant,’ I blurted to my husband. We sat speechless on the phone until he said, ‘Well, looks like we are bringing home siblings after all!'”
‘He’s still the boy you love dearly.’ We thought he was a happy baby. I had NO idea he fought for every breath.’: Mom welcomes baby with congenital heart defects, ‘He’s a force to be reckoned with’
“My baby was going to have to endure the unthinkable, and there was nothing I could do.”
‘If only he’d ask me to dance!’ He was addicted to drugs, and I was addicted to him.’: Woman marries after divorce, ‘Love is ALL that matters’
“I was tired of the fast lane, the parties, and the men. After holding on for dear life to a complete set of emotional baggage, I finally had to surrender it ALL.”
‘You’re pregnant, aren’t you?’ The results came in. She was beautiful, but seeing her in person was a shock.’: Baby born with spina bifida welcomed into family, ‘She’s a ray of sunshine’
“The specialist sat us down to give what typically is a solemn discussion. We cheered! To us, it was great news! Our hope for her was that she’d be a fighter.”
‘What does this mean for her?’ I asked. ‘You can Google it.’ I was HYSTERICAL. But we didn’t give up.’: Woman becomes advocate after daughter born with Trisomy 18, ‘She makes this world a better place’
“They told me, ‘She’ll grow out of these issues.’ If they didn’t see the potential in our daughter we weren’t having it. She fought like CRAZY to be here, and we weren’t giving up because of a piece of paper.”
‘My dad said, ‘You’ve been emotionally beaten.’ I knew THIS marriage was different. Our kids were smitten.’: After abuse, woman blends family with new husband
“He wouldn’t come to bed. ‘I married you for the wrong reasons.’ In a year I went from a working single mom of 2 to being a married, homeschooling, stay-at-home mom of 4.”
‘She said, ‘I am a girl in my heart and brain.’ She had to be physically restrained for haircuts. I felt guilty.’: Mom advocates for transgender daughter, ‘She blossomed before our eyes’
“‘YOU made her this way!’ Dempsey had a strong interest in princesses and sparkly trinkets. She’d put fashion pajama pants on her head to simulate long hair.”
