“For 6 years, I was told, ‘All you need to do to get pregnant is to lose weight.’ I was getting nowhere. We were hopeful, with a little extra help, we’d become parents, no matter what the journey may look like.”
‘I ran to my husband, crying over and over again, ‘I’m not broken!’ I remained hopeful everything was okay. The happiness didn’t last long.’: Couple welcomes rainbow baby, ‘We’re so thankful’
‘You’re going to be a dad.’ He towered over me and the world stopped. I was ‘that girl’ at 18.’: Teen mom beats odds, creates beautiful family, ‘They became my happily ever after’
“‘Babies shouldn’t have babies!’ We were just 2 kids, living on minimum wage, trying to prove ourselves in a world which had already branded us failures.”
‘What did I do to deserve this?’ My heart sank and chills ran through my body.’: New mom births boy with Down syndrome
“‘It’s okay to grieve the child you thought you’d have.’ A HUGE weight was lifted off my shoulders.”
‘Everything is fine, but…’ I tensed up. I thought everyone was in as much pain as I was. I found myself alone with NO answers.’: Chronic illness warrior urges ‘NEVER give up on your health’
“Doctors told me, ‘It’s all in your head.’ I started to lose hope. I couldn’t even take a shower or wash my hair without help. I couldn’t swallow without difficulty and occasional choking. It started to sink in. My life will always be different than others.”
‘Something special was taken away from me.’ My entire world was flipped upside down. I felt like I’d been failed.’: Woman shares mental health journey, ‘Surrendering is the strongest thing I’ve done’
“I went manic and blacked out. I can still feel my dad holding me as tight as possible. I was tucked away in the back of trauma triage, a thick bandage wrapped around my wounds. I finally surrendered and the healing started.”
‘She won’t live. It’s VERY severe.’ Tumors were everywhere. Only 70 people in the WORLD have what I have.’: Woman with Juvenile Hyaline Fibromatosis shares journey, ‘Teach your kids not to fear differences’
“Kids spread rumors, saying ‘You smell bad!’ They told others not to talk to me. My teacher said, ‘You’ll never graduate anyway. What’s the point?’”
‘Have you lost your MIND?’ The thought of her lying alone was too much. There’s NO WAY we could take on 4 fragile kids.’: Couple pursues special needs adoptions, ‘We’d do it all again’
“People ask, ‘Why do you want a child who’s so sick?’ I don’t see their feeding tubes or medicines. I see THEM, and I love THEM. We went from being a boring couple to having 4 kids. We would learn ANYTHING for them.”
‘You need to go to the ER immediately.’ I felt like my body was failing me. I continued to hide my condition until I almost DIED.’: Ballerina with diabetes shares acceptance journey, ‘Keep fighting’
“I was training hard and eating healthy, but still gaining weight. My instructor told my mom I was ‘fat.’ Something in my body was wrong. A few months later, I’d be in the ICU fighting for my life.”
‘A baby was born yesterday. He may have been exposed to meth.’ There was no doubt in our minds. We turned around and ran to our baby.’: Couple shares adoption journey, ‘We’re meant to be’
“Our family thought we were CRAZY.’ ’You should NEVER adopt. You never know what those kids come with.’ We already had two kids with special needs, but we knew God would provide for us. It was love at first sight.”
‘I feel like a prisoner in my own body.’ I let the anxiety take over my life. I just KNEW it would end up killing me.’: Mom battles POTS and anxiety, ‘I’m not giving up anytime soon’
“I convinced myself I was dying. I worked myself into a panic attack. ’Why is this happening to me?’ It was brutal. I didn’t know how I was going to make it, but I knew I had to do it for my baby.”