“‘You waited too long!’ Funds were low. I was scared I’d never feel like ME again. ‘Please, let this be the one.’”
‘Choose someone tall, give the kid a chance!’ We laughed until it became, ‘You don’t deserve this.’: LGBTQ couple pregnant with rainbow baby, ‘We can’t wait to be mommies’
‘There’s a mass behind her nose.’ Her runny nose became blood-tinged. She could barely hold her head up. I knew it was bad.’: Mom details daughter’s cancer journey, ‘Never give up hope’
“They looked up her nose. Something was there. I had a knot in my stomach before he even spoke. My mind flashed back to a Google search I had done that fit her symptoms. Cancer.”
‘Everything is going to be OK.’ The first time I saw him so small, I cried. He came nearly 3 months early.’: Mom raises awareness for National Preemie Month, ‘No one can prepare you for the NICU experience’
“Next came fierce determination. I was his mother, and I would do everything in my power to get whatever he needed to survive.”
‘I know you like to worry, but she’s just fine.’ I was labeled a ‘helicopter mom.’ I felt defeated.’: Mom fights for daughter’s autism diagnosis, ‘I never ignored my gut again’
“She started banging her head on the floor and biting her nails until they bled. They didn’t even try to evaluate her. I tried explaining, ‘Autism presents differently in girls.’ He just suggested parenting classes.”
‘You’ll miss these days!’ Please don’t remind me to love every moment when she’s being a turd and throwing things in Target.’: Mom encourages ‘have extra kindness’ amidst pandemic
“When you see my swollen stomach, dragging my limp-noodle toddler, and hear me gripe about being tired, consider it a Christmas gift to me by refusing the comment that comes to your mind. I guarantee you, I know I’m lucky.”
‘You need a closed adoption.’ My mom was adamant. Suddenly, the world turned upside down. She’d kept the secret for 35 years.’: Adoptive mom finds lost long sister, ‘It was divine intervention’
“My cousin called, ‘Can you take care of my baby?’ I felt an instant connection. Our family was complete and our adoption story had a sweet closure. Or so I thought. It all came together in that shocking moment.”
‘The neurologist called. ‘I’m 90% sure your son has Congenital Disorder of Glycosylation. Do not google it.’: Special needs mom urges, ‘Life can be beautiful, even when it doesn’t go as planned’
“Christopher is 7 years old and cannot sit on his own without falling over. He can’t walk and uses a wheelchair. He hasn’t had food orally for over 5 years, and is fed with a GJ tube. He has never told me he loves me, or said a single word. And I have learned that even without words, his story is going to be a beautiful one.”
‘Our karts spun out of control. We ended up nose to nose. I heard a divine voice clearly instruct, ‘GET TO KNOW HIM.’ My guard completely fell.’: Woman candidly details love story, ‘I wouldn’t trade him for the world’
“My life was full of mistakes with men. All they ever wanted from me was my body. I was tired and determined to take time away from dating to focus on developing myself. But then there was Jake. He kissed me, and it took my breath away.”
‘I’m going to die young.’ Tears rolled down my face as I held his hand. That day, I became an 8-month pregnant widow.’: Woman re-marries after losing husband, ‘I had two happily ever afters’
“I’ll never forget the moment the doctor gave us the results. ‘It doesn’t look good. His brain went too long without oxygen.’ I felt this strong sense of comfort come over my entire body. I knew without a doubt I’d be okay.”
‘Please take me home.’ Watching her crumble at her birth mother’s feet almost did me in. We had to protect her.’: Couple adopts teen from foster care, ‘She deserves a safe place’
“Nothing about foster care was easy. Why wasn’t there a boot camp for this? The Navy had trained me so well for potential threats, but now I was in an actual war field and felt left for dead. I almost walked away.”