“There was a HUGE chance I’d never get pregnant. My hands were shaking. I turned the test over. ‘Wait, what?’ After seeing negative after negative, you don’t think you’ll ever see a positive.”
‘If it happens, it happens.’ I stared at the negative test. I was right, but it still stung. My body had betrayed me.’: Endometriosis warrior shares motherhood journey, ‘My dream came true’
‘The doctor said, ‘Do you know what this might mean?’ I felt CHEATED. ‘There’s NOTHING wrong with him!’ I had to ‘fix it.’: Mom of autistic son navigates challenges, ‘I embrace him for who he is’
“She saw him and said, ‘’My grandson has it, too.’ What? I was in denial.”
‘My child’s teacher tossed a grenade into my well-manicured world. ‘Stella reminds me of a girl I used to teach.’ Once I saw the images, I knew.’: Mom advocates for daughter with Williams Syndrome
“As I walked to my car, I couldn’t type those words into the search bar fast enough. Williams Syndrome. I was completely blindsided. That’s when I left the old version of me.”
‘Your baby LOOKS sick.’ His lips were blue and he’d lost 4 pounds. We hadn’t realized he was slowly fading.’: Baby diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, ‘His diagnosis doesn’t define him’
“He’d been nursing nonstop and drinking large amounts of water. He woke up soaked. ‘His hands and feet are freezing.’ It was 75 degrees outside. His body was attacking itself.”
‘You don’t even like kids.’ But there they were, two pink lines. I laughed. There was no way I could raise a girl.’: New mom shares reality of motherhood, ‘It’s okay not to love every second’
“It wasn’t that I didn’t like kids. It’s just I never felt motherly enough. I was still selfishly self-absorbed. ’Maybe my career is my main focus.’ It’s funny how things change, isn’t it? She changed me.”
‘Was her due date correct? Something’s off.’ The cord was wrapped around her neck 5 times. She was completely red.’: Mom births baby with Williams Syndrome, ‘There’s no shortage of love’
“I helplessly lay there, shivering as alarms were sounded and ‘Code Blue’ was called. The world started to go black around me. All I could hear was, ‘Heart problems, elfin appearance, intellectual disability, love of music.’ She was so, so small.”
‘It’ll be difficult for you to get pregnant.’ I gave him an out. ‘No way, let’s adopt!’ There was no doubt in my mind.’: Couple moves to Africa to adopt daughter, ‘We’re exactly where we need to be’
“We picked up the phone. ‘There’s a 17-month-old girl.’ We felt like we were racing time. Then COVID hit. We wouldn’t be able to take her home. ‘Why don’t WE go be a family with her?’ It seemed like a no-brainer.”
‘We noticed wobbling in his eyes. My denial turned to heartbreak. ‘I can’t believe I passed on my problems.’: Woman learns to embrace blindness in herself and son, ‘I can guide him through life’
“‘No kids would want a blind mom!’ My husband told me not to worry, we’d do things differently, and would solve problems as they came. I assumed being a mom and wife was unreachable. He taught me differently.”
‘We’re the only American family on the block. ‘Dear Neighbors, we’d be happy to see you tonight.’ They took the time to include us.’: Military family finds community during deployment, urges ‘make others feel welcome’
“We air-toasted our warm drinks in one another’s direction and voiced pleasantries across the cobblestones. The soft notes of Christmas music played through those open windows. You have no idea the impact even the smallest gesture can make.”
‘Oh, honey.’ She noticed a cleft lip and clubbed feet. ‘This is going to be hard.’: Woman shares journey with daughter’s CHARGE syndrome
“Her growth began to slow. ’Rare but not unheard of’ became my life story. My daughter’s heart was giving up. ‘This is really hard news. But you can do this.’ It was exactly what I needed to hear.”