“After weeks of a pity party, one day, I looked into Hunter’s eyes and a switch flipped. I was in a race against time and had to make every minute count.”
‘It’s ultra rare. There are only 14 cases worldwide. Brace yourselves for what you’ll read on the internet.’: Mom advocates for son with rare Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease
‘With a huge grin, my mom said, ‘Your daughter is an honor student? Well, mine’s a lesbian!’ She was so proud.’: LGBTQ mom shares what Pride means to her
“I felt as if my face was about to melt off. ‘Mom, I’m gay and I have a girlfriend. I think I love her.’ She started howling, deep belly laughing.”
‘There’s something missing in your son.’ I brushed it off as him being ADD like me. I felt guilty and angry.’: Neurodivergent mom to son with autism urges ‘self-empowerment’ for others like her
“‘R*tard’ and ‘lunatic’ became my ‘pet names.’ We still haven’t received a call for an ‘official diagnosis.’ So, I started my own research. I don’t want other children to suffer as I did.”
‘While my client rested, I folded a few loads of laundry, cleaned her kitchen, looked after her older kids, and made kale soup.’: Doula reminds us to ‘nurture postpartum moms’
“Much of what I do for my clients is not the role of a postpartum doula. But that’s okay. I’m working to change the way we support new moms.”
‘Sometimes, I hear dads say, ‘I gotta babysit the kids tonight.’: Dad urges ‘kids are a blessing, not a burden’
“I never babysit my kids. They are absolutely my responsibility, and it is on me to be the father they need.”
‘I was told, ‘He won’t grow up RIGHT without a male figure in his life.’ I felt the need to be a perfect parent.’: Lesbian mom shares mental health struggles, urges ‘trust yourself’
“I’d constantly think about Asher getting cancer or being kidnapped. ‘You can’t possibly parent a normal child in a same-sex household.’ I felt like my life was falling apart.”
‘I looked at the doctor, ‘What’s wrong with her exactly?’ She started listing things.’: Mom gives birth to rainbow baby with birth defects, ‘She’s a miracle’
“We couldn’t believe this was happening to our newborn. The surgeons said, ‘We don’t know what we’ll find until we open her up.’ Through social media, people all around the world were praying for our little girl, praying for a miracle.”
‘He was sent to the principal’s office the first day of kindergarten. He was branded the troublemaker. The attention seeker. The bad child.’: Dad to bullying survivor with autism urges ‘teach your kids compassion’
“No one sat with him at lunch time. Kids laughed when he stimmed or made mistakes. He was kept in during recess to ‘think about his behavior.’ My wife and I couldn’t reconcile this with the child we knew. At home, he was calm and followed directions; at school, he became disruptive.”
‘She just doesn’t want to go to school.’ At 18, I became a single mom living with undiagnosed pain.’: Chronic illness warrior becomes advocate with son’s help, ‘I couldn’t live without him’
“I had 9 months symptom-free. ‘I wish I didn’t have to give you this diagnosis.’ I felt like my life was ending.”
‘Let your daughter see you take time for yourself—because once she sees you’re worth it, she’ll grow up knowing she’s worth it, too.’: Mom shares tips for raising a strong daughter
“Let your daughter hear you stick up for yourself, never accept disrespect. Let your daughter see you reach out your hand to another woman, pulling her up until she’s steady enough to stand on her own.”
