Sophia San Filippo

Managing Editor & SEO Lead

Based in New York City, Sophia San Filippo has worked with Love What Matters as a lead editor and content curator since early 2019 and has acted as Managing Editor since early 2021. She is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Binghamton University who holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, Creative Writing, and Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies. She is passionate about personal storytelling and creating a positive space in media to better the lives of others. On a typical day you can find her rocking out at her local concert venue, admiring nature, or baking her latest kitchen experiment.

I Became A Teen Mom And A Widow At 18

“She dialed my mom’s number on speaker. ‘Hi, Diane. This is the nurse at your daughter’s school. Katherine has something to tell you.’ Seriously lady? I got on the phone, played dumb. ‘Oh my gosh, Katherine! What is going on?’ My parents had NO idea I was sexually active. Little did I know, there were bigger problems to worry about. ‘If he was wearing his seatbelt, he would have survived.’ A funeral was planned without me or my daughter in attendance.”

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‘Can you be our designated driver?’ 5 minutes after I dropped off my mom, a drunk driver crossed the yellow line at 117 mph.’: Car crash survivor urges ‘get a ride’ after losing aunt to drunk driver

“I remember the silence, then sirens. People running from their houses, lights shining, and the rush of an emergency situation. People asked me, ‘Who are you? Where were you going? Have you been drinking?’ I had no idea what happened or how I got there.”

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‘My cheek was swollen. The doctor said, ‘I’ve never seen anything like this before. Your life expectancy is 6 years old.’: Woman gets Facial Infiltrating Lipomatosis diagnosis after 22-year battle

“We were told, ‘The swelling must be from the position she slept in. It’s nothing. It will go away soon.’ Weeks went by, but nothing changed. When puberty hit, my face was growing faster than I was. I had unexplainable headaches and nosebleeds. I was sleeping all day long. Everywhere I went, I got stares, whispers, and pointing fingers.”

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‘My sister called. ‘Rachel is thirsty. I think she has heat exhaustion.’ She stopped breathing. I was on the phone as they started CPR.’: Mom loses daughter to undiagnosed Type 1 Diabetes

“She was moodier than usual, but she was turning 12. ‘Hormones, right?’ She started complaining about leg cramps and throwing up after running. When the coroner’s office called, we were told, ‘You missed the symptoms.’ Rachel was gone, and she was not coming back.”

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‘You didn’t hear the words ‘it’s a boy.’ You didn’t claim your title like most. But you’re tied to that child by something much stronger than blood.’: Mom says ‘you’re more than a step or bonus dad’

“I was wary of you at first. I was sure we’d scare you off. And part of me wanted to—single parenthood had made my list of requirements pretty tough. But you won me over with ‘bring him too.’ You never ever had to be, and that’s what makes me extra thankful you’re ours.”

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