“I handed them their baby boy. I wasn’t giving my child away. I was placing him into the arms of two loving parents who would always be a part of my life.”
‘We promise to love your child and speak of you often.’ My heart was filled with just their words.’: Young mom describes open adoption journey, ‘It’s the start of something beautiful’’
‘It’s something small, but it can change your WHOLE day. We felt the love, even in what seemed like endless darkness. I wanted to HELP.’: Woman crafts handwritten cards to ‘send kindness through the mail’
“I pulled out my stationery box from where it was collecting dust in a closet. For the first time in weeks, I was energized and felt like I was making a difference! As I put the letters in my mailbox, I had the desire for this to become something bigger.”
‘One day, you’ll need a transplant.’ I was DEVASTATED. I never really accepted this, until I had no other option.’: Man with autoimmune hepatitis undergoes liver transplant, ‘It’s my second chance’
“I lost 30 pounds, began sleeping 14 hours a day, and suffered terrible stomach pains. It was raining when I received the call. When I hung up, I watched the raindrops fall down the window in streaks. I was preparing to take my hands off the wheel and hand it to my doctors.”
‘You have to work harder because of skin color.’ There was NO ONE like me in my classes. I’m changing the narrative.’: Transracial adoptee reflects on ‘reclaiming’ her culture, ‘I’m not alone anymore’
“I wasn’t ‘Latina enough’ to befriend kids at school. My white peers would say things like ‘I don’t see color,’ which made me feel like I was on both sides of the coin. I tried DESPERATELY to fit in and be accepted.”
‘There’s some bad news regarding your blood work.’ They spent 12 HOURS on his spine. We weren’t sure he’d ever crawl. But he DID.’: Mom births baby with spina bifida, ‘He completes us’
“He may have a disability, but Tommy is capABLE of anything. His happiness, love of life, and laughter is something which will forever bring smiles to the face of anyone he meets. He is our ANGEL.”
‘I feared I wouldn’t make enough for her, so I built a MASSIVE stash. Just because it’s a natural thing doesn’t mean it comes naturally to every mom.’: Woman donates breast milk, ‘I’m SO grateful to help’
“I never knew where breastfeeding would lead me. I never had an end goal in mind. To be honest with you, I didn’t know any of this was possible.”
‘Where’s the nearest bathroom?’ I had to plan an ‘escape route’ if things went south. I went home defeated, but tried to do life as normal.’: Man with ulcerative colitis urges others to ‘choose joy and love’
“It wasn’t until the first few times I completely crapped my pants in public I started taking my illness seriously. I blacked out, screaming, ‘Help me!’ Something wasn’t right. I had to take back the life I’d lost.”
‘A heavy door slammed. I begged, ‘I promise I’ll be the best girl. Please don’t leave me!’ A creepy man said ‘young lady’ and grabbed me by the shoulders.’: Woman details journey battling cancer while in teen religious cult
“My stepmom gave me an ultimatum. ‘Your belongings are in trash bags on the front porch.’ I was not allowed to call or see my father. What I thought was a trip to Grandma’s ended in me being locked in a religious cult for 5 years as I battled cancer.”
‘I’m struggling with money to get formula.’ How wonderful it was to know that my body was capable of making a little extra for other families.’: New mom donates breast milk, ‘I see your tears and my heart is with you’
“The employees were kind and talked to me about their situation with tears in their eyes. My heart dropped to the floor. It opened my eyes to the difficulties so many go through.”
‘I COULDN’T let him down. The biggest brown eyes popped out at me. We took in every detail of his face.’: Couple adopts, has surprise pregnancy, ‘I love them equally, forever’
“I must have pulled that pregnancy test out of the trash 16 times to make sure I wasn’t making it up. ‘I’m pregnant,’ I blurted to my husband. We sat speechless on the phone until he said, ‘Well, looks like we are bringing home siblings after all!'”