“She took him into her arms. ‘It’s not an ‘I’m sorry.’ It’s just different.’ I loved him, but I was scared. She helped us see he was the same beautiful baby we were elated with mere minutes before.”
‘Do you have any concerns?’ The mood shifted. I half-expected her to say, ‘I’m concerned he’s too good looking!’ The punchline never came.’: Mom gives birth to baby with Down syndrome
‘You’re under arrest.’ My HUSBAND called the police on me. I woke up in the back of a cop car.’: Woman gets sober, delivers rainbow baby, ‘I can’t live my best life while drinking’
“I fed my toddler crackers and watched TV because I couldn’t function. I could NOT parent. The ‘’mommy juice’ culture became a slippery slope.”
‘Did you leave your husband for him?’ I needed MORE! I came in so broken.’: Woman finds love after divorce, ‘I found someone who lets me be LOUD’
“‘Why couldn’t he find someone his own age?’ I cried myself to sleep at night wondering if I would ever feel loved.”
‘It’s been hard to place my feelings lately. But as I sat in my car, tears streaming down to Faith Hill’s ‘Where Are You Christmas’ on the radio, I finally understood.’: Woman shares magical reminder ‘not even 2020 can take away the love in our hearts’
“I’m mourning the loss of the person I was just one short year ago. She feels like a stranger to me now. But when I least expected it, I was reminded of the most important thing that can’t be taken away from us, no matter how the world feels like it’s crumbling.”
‘Drag me to the kitchen!’ I did what any self-respecting millennial would. I Googled ‘gunshot wound first aid.’: Man survives home invasion attack, ‘I’d choose a wheelchair over a hearse any day’
“I heard a loud bang. My legs dropped out from underneath me. My last memory was being placed in a helicopter.”
‘Mom, that’s enough beer.’ I just laughed it off. My ‘mommy juice’ made me the most confident woman.’: Woman shares sobriety journey, ‘You don’t have to hit rock bottom to quit’
“At 20 years old, I planned my brother’s funeral. My last words to him were, ‘Don’t drink too much.’ I began to binge and purge. When I drank, I felt like I could conquer anything.”
‘We have NO IDEA why this keeps happening.’ It felt like being ripped in half. I tried to scream, but no sound came out.’: Woman births rainbow baby after miscarriages, ‘Joy triumphs’
“When I went to the bathroom, there wasn’t spotting. There was blood, a lot of it. The doctors confirmed our worst nightmare. In the blink of an eye, without any explanation, it was over.”
‘How’s your alcohol tolerance?’ She administered the anesthesia herself. I heard myself flatline.’: Woman details ‘traumatizing’ IVF experience leading to rainbow baby, ‘It’ll all be worth it’
“The doctor started shaking me and asking me to breathe. I remember thinking, ‘This might be my last breath. I hope they at least retrieve a couple eggs.’ It felt like a scene from a movie.”
‘I can’t raise a child. I can’t even take care of myself!’ I had nothing left to live for. Or so I thought.’: Woman recovers from addiction for daughter, ‘All it took was a tiny shimmer of hope’
“Self-medication was the only thing keeping me alive. I sat outside, chain-smoking and chugging a bottle of wine. ’My boyfriend is an addict and I can’t get sober.’ I was never supposed to get pregnant.”
‘This is a bad idea.’ We left all our belongings and drove across the country, just two poor newlyweds. I wanted to turn back.’: Couple moves to wilderness camp, ‘Say YES to new adventures’
“The future seemed big and scary, and I felt small and nervous. I was ready to go home. The sunset was like fireworks to the end of a challenging season. Now when I look back, I am grateful.”