“I had no clue about hearing loss and had never even met a deaf person. I left that appointment in shambles, feeling so bad for my baby. ‘Is this my fault? Can it be reversed?’ I wanted Mason to experience waves crashing on the shore, crickets chirping at night, the giggles of his sisters. I wanted him to HEAR.”
“In fleeting moments, little movements would catch my eyes. I asked her pediatrician, ‘Are you sure there isn’t anything going on?’ One morning, I knew something was wrong. I knew it was bad, but I had no idea how bad.”
“After discovering our relationship, her parents locked her inside her home, got her fired from her job, removed all access to any phones, internet, or car. My parents saw my actions as sinful, and deserving of punishment.”
“We began to wonder if something was ‘not right.’ The moment she stopped breathing, I crumbled.”
“My 6-year-old plays Fortnite all day. My kids could sleep with a tablet in their bed and I wouldn’t give a flying hoot anymore, as long as they’re quiet. I’ve let the boys wrestle like they’re in a cage fight, right in front of me, and I haven’t done a thing. My selective hearing has really improved.”
“I was walking to my dealer’s car when suddenly four police cars turned up. You’d be amazed at how blind when you are in full-blown addiction. I didn’t care what happened to me.”
“I struggled with loving my post-baby body. ‘Things’ seemed to have ‘deflated’ and headed south, if you know what I mean. I thought implants were ‘perfectly safe.’ What could go wrong?”
“She’d been sneaking Bailey’s into her coffee cup while breastfeeding. He’d cry and bang in his crib until he formed a bump on his head. We transitioned from being ‘aunt and uncle’ to ‘mom and dad.’”
“I was just a military wife solo parenting, trying to survive while my husband was in a war zone. I didn’t get her name. She probably doesn’t even remember us, but I will never forget her.”
“My husband saw them rushing with blood for my transfusion. They didn’t update him. He assumed the worst had happened.”
