“We’ve seen countless rooms at children’s hospitals over the last few years, because the ‘little cough’ you sent your kid to school with landed mine in the hospital, unable to breathe on her own. I have a forgotten child.”
‘You do you and I’ll do me.’ My child, with the crap lungs and fragile liver, will pay the price.’: Mom with ‘forgotten child’ discusses selfishness in pandemic, ‘We expected nothing less’
‘I remember the bomb going off and the leg shrapnel. 17 years later, more doctors. ’PLEASE, I don’t want to worry anymore.’: Vet survives war injury, melanoma
“I was talking to a doctor once again. This time it was different. I worried about my kids and the orphans. ‘We want to send you a check.’ The joy those words brought was indescribable.”
‘There I stood, bawling in a Christmas aisle at Hobby Lobby. 2020 has brought us nothing but hurt and I’m ready for my favorite time of year.’ Woman says ‘once we choose hope, anything is possible’
“I said to my husband tonight, ‘I have to tell you something.’ I stood right in front of these trees and started crying when I heard the acoustic version of ‘O’ Holy Night’ playing over the speakers.”
‘He sobbed when I drove him home, ‘No, Mommy!’ It was unbearable. In his eyes, we abandoned him.’: Woman adopts brothers 2 years after saying goodbye, ‘God had bigger plans’
“I fell to my knees. It couldn’t be. This baby boy was going to go to an entirely new home. I cried myself to sleep, praying he was safe and loved. My phone rang. When she said his name, I thought I was going to throw up.”
‘There are other ways to be a mother.’ I was so angry. I wanted to be a mom the ‘natural’ way.’: Woman becomes foster care advocate, ‘I never expected my heart to change’
“I still can hear my OBGYN telling me all the diagnoses. Infertility. PCOS. ‘Fostering doesn’t make you any less of a mother.’ I felt my heart break into a million pieces.”
‘Your daddy loves you, and I love you too.’ Dustin honors Marcus as their father and helps them understand it’s okay to love both.’: Young widow shares blended family journey, creates ‘daddy books’ to honor late husband’s memory
“Dustin didn’t only declare vows to me, but he spoke vows to the children as well. ‘In just a little bit, I tell Mom ‘I do.’ And with that, I promise you forever too. We won’t always like each other or get along, but we need to promise we will love each other forever.'”
‘I leaned in, I’d never heard these words before.’: Autism mom shares loving moment with non-verbal son, ‘You learn to celebrate everything’
“He sat calmly at the table like it was no big deal. I think I cried the entire morning. I have not heard those words since.”
‘What will people think?’ I worried myself to sleep. That little pill held so much shame.’: Mom of 6 shares struggle with anxiety, ‘It’s made me stronger’
“I’d wake up, heart racing, and rush to the crib. Once I felt her breathing, I could settle back into sleep. I was angry all the time. Small things made me want to pull my hair out.”
‘How would you feel about having a baby?’ We caught the only flight out. Suddenly, all the heartache made sense.’: Couple adopts after 4 years of infertility, ‘Everything led us straight to her’
“We didn’t get to hear her heartbeat on an ultrasound. We didn’t get a gender reveal party or a baby shower. Nobody visited us at the hospital. And I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.”
‘He has a big birthmark on his face.’ I didn’t care at all. He was so perfect, I was in awe.’: Mom gives birth to baby with Port-Wine Stain, ‘Don’t let fear rule you’
“They highly suggested laser treatments. It was hard. SO hard. I would hear him cry, scream, and even hold his breath. ‘I need to know he’s safe.’ We needed something different.”