“I called Mike’s phone. It went straight to voicemail. In that moment, the air was sucked from my world. All of this was happening while I had a room of 3rd graders. I couldn’t let on that something was seriously wrong.”
‘My mother-in-law was texting me nonstop. ‘Can you meet me?’ She refused to tell me what happened. I got sick to my stomach.’: Young widow shares life after loss, raising late husband’s ‘clone’
‘Are you sitting down?’ I was carrying a little one incompatible with life. I’ve prayed like I’ve never prayed.’: Mom grieves loss of 2 newborns to rare chromosome condition
“I was completely inconsolable, bawling, unable to pull myself together. ‘I just don’t want to ever have to do this!’ She had lived, breathed, and been loved completely.”
To The Firefighter Who Saved Me On 9/11: I Will Live Life To The Fullest In Your Honor
“I will live, never in vain of his heroism.”
‘I smashed the window while holding my son. ‘Go buy essential oils,’ the nurse told me. I was pushed aside.’: Mom of 2 advocates for postpartum depression, ‘There’s no need to suffer in silence’
“If you feel like this again, call and I’ll talk you off the ledge.’ I was ashamed to admit I was having thoughts of harming myself. It triggered something I have never experienced: intense rage.”
‘I was shut upstairs, locked away. ‘There must be something wrong with me.’ Sex was learned from books. I felt unsafe.’: Woman leaves past life, walks 500 miles, ‘I let others love me’
“At 12, my grandmother looked me in the eye and said, ‘If you want to go to the gym, I’ll pay. I think you need it.’ I was the girl who drank 25 shots in a row and took her clothes off in a room full of people. I felt dead inside.”
Some Days A Daughter Just Needs Her Mom
“When the days feel long. When we can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. When we need someone who will feel the same excitement in her heart. We are all just our mother’s daughters. We carry their heartbeat within us every day.”
’38 weeks pregnant with twins, the doctor said, ‘Your other son has cancer wrapped around all his organs.’: Recovered addict urges ’embrace the challenges’ after birthing twins, Neuroblastoma survivor
“The only words I could get out were, ‘He won’t die, right? He won’t die.’ As long as I live, I will never forget the doctor’s response: ’50/50 chance.’ He called me an ‘idiot’ for wanting to place him on a second treatment trial. ‘We need to stop.’ I knew it was right for our boy.”
‘My girlfriend gave me an ultimatum. ‘Either that has to go, or I do.’ I broke down in tears. I tried my hardest to stop, but the desire lingered on in secret.’: Male crossdresser outed at work details journey to ‘liberation’
“I got a text one morning from my best friend. It simply said, ‘Hey.’ I knew something was up. ‘Somebody at work discovered Sami and is spreading it around.’ I work with about 300-400 people. My heart sank down into my stomach.”
‘My boyfriend who ‘loved me’ broke up with me over the phone once I was in the hospital. My health deteriorated at lightning speed.’: Woman details journey with Crohn’s Disease, ‘You can rise above and flourish’
“I went from being a perfectly healthy 21-year-old with the world by the tail to 105-degree fevers every day. One day, my mom found me lying on the couch at dinner time in my pajamas from the night before. ‘It’s time to get to the bottom of this.’ Something wasn’t right, but we couldn’t put our fingers on it.”
‘Numbness consumed my whole left side. ‘You’re tying your boots too tight.’ The next thing I knew, I collapsed.’: Navy Ordinanceman battles MS during leave, ‘Be the person you need to be’
“I couldn’t move nor feel the entire left side of my face. I chewed a hole on the inside of my cheek due to no feeling. Looking at my mom and sisters’ faces filled with tears, I knew it wasn’t good.”