“Our caseworker sent us a profile of the cutest 13-month-old boy. It felt like a dream come true. Less than 50 days later, it was a failed match. We were heartbroken.”
‘He’ll think I’m crazy.’ I sent their picture to my husband, expecting a quick no. Instead, we fell in love.’: Couple adopts 3 sisters from Taiwan, ‘We took a leap of faith’
‘The doctor gently told us, ‘His case is not mild. At the very least, he’s on the severe end.’ Everyone focuses on what he CAN’T do, but we focus on what he CAN do.’: Mom recounts son’s diagnosis journey with autism, ‘You’ll move mountains’
“The signs were all there. Everything. I knew it was time. How did I not know sooner? I’m his mom, shouldn’t I just automatically know these things? We are NOT going to give up on you.”
‘I was over-medicated, an emotionless zombie. I didn’t know how to celebrate without him. This year, I FEEL.’: Widow shares feelings on holidays while grieving, ‘Finding a new normal is weird’
“I feel, at any moment, every good feeling may be the last one I have. I just have to put on my fancy holiday anxiety and deal with it. The worst part about being a widow is holidays.”
‘The photographer asked, ‘Would you like to retake the photo without the tooth sticking out?’ She replied, ‘Nope, I’m good!’: Mom admires ‘strong-willed’ daughter after hilarious school photos
“This is the look of a strong-willed girl who knows exactly what she’s doing. Look how proud she is!”
‘Chance of defects, chance of blindness, deafness, death.’ There was so. Much. Blood. I couldn’t feel a single thing. He was STUCK.’: Mom recounts traumatic labor, son’s ‘unique health issues’
“You don’t necessarily notice the impact early on, even if you start to recognize things just aren’t ‘right.’ You see differences at the park, watching other kids interact. Your friends’ kids start walking, then talking, and you start to notice delays. You question what you did wrong and what you could have done differently.”
‘LEAVE ME ALONE.’ I hurled a toy at the wall. It looked like a tornado struck our basement. I hit my LOWEST point.’: Mom shares candid reality of parenting in a pandemic, ‘We’re trying our best’
“The dent in the wall? It’s from me. The toy I’m holding? Yep, I threw it against the wall in a fit of tears.”
‘This is a mistake! She CAN’T be mine.’ I turned everyone away from the hospital. I thought I ruined our lives.’: Special needs mom details Down syndrome journey
“My vision of perfection vanished and I felt disconnected. It was painful to say the words. But it had been her all along.”
‘Her cries sounded painful. ‘Did she nap today? Do you think she’s hungry?’ But I knew it wasn’t that.’: Mom navigates daughter’s autism diagnosis, ‘I’m so proud to be her mama’
“She’d fling her head back every night. Her behaviors became violent. I suspected something greater was going on, but I sold myself the idea she’d catch up in her own time. The wait and see remained.”
‘No one will want a divorced, single mom of 3.’ I thought it was the end of me. He showed up day after day for my broken family.’: Mom shares powerful love story, ‘It was just the beginning’
“The woman my ex-husband had an affair with was engaged. That man showed up for us with groceries, moving boxes, ice cream. And he showed up with his very own broken heart. So I did what any reasonable girl would have done. I fell in love with him.”
‘We aren’t just going to let him die!’ I slammed my hands on the table. I knew this wouldn’t be our story.’: Baby survives terminal NKH diagnosis, ‘We take note of every little miracle’
“They printed out a sheet from Google explaining the condition. ‘He’ll never leave the NICU.’ He had his first seizure and stopped breathing. I knew God would heal him.”