“I looked down at my foot. ‘They’re just gonna chop it off? That’s cool.’ At 5 years old, I learned a life lesson many people struggle with into adulthood: self-acceptance.”
‘Tomorrow, your foot won’t be there.’ It looked like it went through a garbage disposal. I was devastated.’: Amputee shares self-acceptance journey, ‘Being different should be EMBRACED’
‘I told myself, ‘It won’t last forever.’ I was self-conscious about my looks. It was holding me back.’: Woman with Treacher Collins Syndrome says ‘I choose to feel nothing but empowered’
“I decided, ‘I’m going to shave my head.’ I used my long hair as a shield, but once I didn’t have it anymore, I was forced to be seen. All of my differences were out in the open. I had no choice but to embrace what made me different.”
‘Scrolling through Facebook, a photo of my high school friend grabbed a hold of me and wouldn’t let go.’: Woman celebrates moms ‘forging ahead’ during unpredictable pandemic
“She represents all of us.”
‘The results came back 90% positive.’ My world crumbled. This wasn’t our plan. This wasn’t how we envisioned our family.’: Mom shares Down syndrome acceptance journey, ‘We’re LUCKY’
“You’ll grieve the life you thought your child would live. You’ll wonder why this happened to you and your family and your baby. You’ll wonder if you did something to deserve this. And all those thoughts are okay. That’s how you get to the other side.”
‘You don’t need that, FAKER!’ She tried to muster energy to make it to the store. People rolled their eyes. I was powerless.’: Sisters battle multiple chronic illnesses, ‘We’ve gained a stronger bond’
“I crawled to the bathroom and couldn’t stand up without blacking out. ‘It’s a miracle you can even sit upright.’ I felt like I was drugged.”
‘I’ll deal with it when I graduate.’ I was drinking daily, but had NO CLUE how to ask for help. I was always reaching for the next drink.’: Woman overcomes alcohol addiction, ‘I’m healing’
“I bought a dog. I bought a house. Everyone thought I was doing great. But I had bottles of alcohol all around my house. I would wake up with full resolve to never drink again, and would find myself with a bottle in my hand by the evening. Things got really dark, really fast.”
‘It’s bad, and it’s everywhere. There’s too much to take out.’ I fell into his arms. We fought through the grief to stay one.’: Couple battling infertility adopts two sons, ‘We see perfection’
“I lived with a Fentanyl patch, which barely touched the pain. My uterus was sitting on my pelvic floor and had compromised my bladder. Our dream of two or three children became a hope we could just get ONE.”
‘I requested only second-hand gifts and hand-me-downs for my baby shower. I was shocked to learn only ONE guest showed up with a preloved gift.’: Mom shares important lesson on sustainably this holiday season
“There won’t be a lot under our tree this Christmas, and that’s okay. We’ve got more than enough love to fill the gaps.”
‘What’s wrong with my baby?’ Her head was measuring large and her femurs were small. We were in denial this could happen to us.’: New mom births baby with dwarfism, ‘It DOESN’T define her’
“Everything had gone so wrong. ‘Did I eat something I shouldn’t have? Get exposed to something harmful?’ What was supposed to be the happiest part of our lives had turned into a nightmare.”
‘Will he live a normal life?’ There was silence. All I could think of were the things he WOULDN’T be able to do.’: Autism mom shares son’s diagnosis journey, ‘It is NOT an illness’
“At his 18-month appointment, the red flags were noted. He still had no words. ‘This is it. The life I thought I was going to have is over.’ Would he ever speak? Would he have the life I dreamed of him having?”