“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’
‘Oh my gosh, there’s a HEARTBEAT! I’m a MOM!’ The doctor looked puzzled and NOT happy.’: Couple experiences infertility, NICU, ‘I’m enjoying life as a mom’
“I caught my breath. I asked the doctor, ‘Is that a heartbeat?’ He didn’t look happy. I couldn’t understand. He then answered ‘Yes, but I’m sorry.’ I was completely numb.”
‘You’re hired!’ My boy’s face lit up. He cannot read social cues and gets easily overwhelmed. But they gave him a chance.’: Mom thanks restaurant for hiring son with autism, ‘There are still good people’
“‘We’ve never hired someone like this before, but we’re willing to give it a try!’ For 2 years now, my son has wanted a job. This probably seems pretty normal. Except he isn’t an ordinary teenager. He is a teenager with autism.”
‘Why not have your OWN kid first?’ He’s JUST as much ‘our own’ as any biological child. He crushes every ‘impossible’ goal.’: Family adopts son with autism, ‘It’s better than we dreamed’
“They told us, ‘He may never speak full sentences or want to leave the house.’ His smile lit up the room. We pushed him to be the BEST he could be.”
‘He’s a biter. Will you take him?’ He was dropped off with nothing but the clothes on his back. By the time he left, he called me ‘Mom.’: Single foster mom shares journey, ‘I was made for this’
“He ran from me, crying and frightened. ’What has he been through? What has he seen? Can I do this?’ God sent him to tell me I COULD do this. It’s not an easy calling, but I am living God’s word.”
‘We have an 11-year-old with identity issues. Would you be able to take him in?’ We said yes to 30 days from now. Then we received a call: ‘Can he move in today?’: LGBT couple adopt 4 children from foster care
“‘Am I too young? Am I good enough?’ The fear set in. Soon, he arrived at our house with nothing but two trash bags, his life packed away in them. His shoes were too small, his clothes barely fit. The days of bouncing from home to home would finally be over.”
‘I begged for a miscarriage. ‘I don’t want this. I’m not going to be good at this.’ I was in SUCH a dark place.’: New mom shares pregnancy acceptance journey, ‘It’s okay if it feels scary’
“I peed on that little stick. ‘One line…. phew. Oh, wait, another line is forming. Holy smokes, that line is AGGRESSIVELY dark. Can these things be wrong?’ Immediately, I just started sobbing.”
‘Your best course of action is IVF.’ Surely this wasn’t real. I didn’t know anyone who had gone through this. We told everyone.’: Couple advocates for infertility awareness, ‘I never lost hope’
“I cried so much. Why would people put themselves through this? Hope. Desperation. Longing. I realized this wasn’t something people wanted to share or talk about. Surely I wasn’t the only person going through this?”
‘Let’s give this a go, shall we?’ The first time we met, I can’t even tell you how nervous I was. It’s about giving up control.’: Moms co-write blended family journey, ‘Life is humbling and messy’
“It’s weird meeting the one your husband had a relationship with. Turns out, the fear was worse than the situation itself. She was kind, bringing wine and cake. She got it.”
To My Nonverbal Child: Our Love Will Never Need Words
“Raising a non-verbal child taught me to communicate with more than mere words and to listen with more than mere ears.”