“I took Axton to the bathroom to pee. It was the first of many earth-shattering moments when I watched in horror as he peed blood. ‘He should be fine with some Tylenol and rest.’ I knew in my gut something was seriously wrong.”
‘My husband said, ‘He has a tumor.’ How had we missed this? It was hiding in plain sight.’: Mom of 5-year-old cancer survivor raises awareness, ‘We don’t expect it to be OUR kids, until it is’
‘We live in one of the wealthiest nations in the world, but we’re leaving women behind in mass.’: Working mom advocates for paid maternity leave
“Because of paid leave, I didn’t have to make the hard choices thousands of parents have to make in this country. The choice between caring for myself and my child physically, or caring for us both financially. The choice between halting my career and having a child. The choice between staying or going while I looked a new little human in the eyes.”
‘If she stays home with her kids: ‘How can her family financially keep up?’ If she works: ‘But they’re only little once.’: Mom urges ‘you’re a good mother, throw the unrealistic expectations away’
“In our society, a mother suffers guilt no matter what she does. If you listen to everyone else, you’re always going to fall short.”
‘Feed organic, limit screen time, support local, attend the seminars, limit sugar, potty train early.’: Woman reminds us ‘in a society that sets us up for failure, we don’t stand a chance’
“So much pressure from a world that wants you to succeed, but sets you up for failure. So much pressure from a society that is always demanding more time, more effort, more of everything you’re already doing, but less of your struggles, less of your complaining, less of your inability.”
‘Mom, Jeremy is doing some really bad drugs.’ Time stopped. I was dumbfounded.’: After son’s fatal heroin overdose, family start non-profit to help others battling addiction
“I started the guessing game: Benzos? No. Acid? No. Mushrooms? No. Bath salts? No. I remember pausing and feeling a chill go through me. Heroin? Yes. ‘Daniel, are you telling me that Jeremy is using heroin?’ Yes.”
‘She said, ‘I know I shouldn’t complain, because as you know…it could always be worse.’ Wait a second. What?’: Special needs mom says ‘my son is not your worst-case scenario’
“His life comes with challenges, but his existence, his life, is not worse.”
Dear Daughter, Kindness Doesn’t Always Come First
“You’ll find yourself in situations where it’s better to tuck away an open hand and lay down an iron fist. I hope you learn to trust your gut. Because as long as you choose your words wisely and with good intentions, you will never fall short.”
‘Mommy, can you give me one of your arms so I can have two real ones like my friends?’: Mom shares lessons from child born with Amniotic Band Syndrome
“I gulped back tears and explained it wasn’t medically possible. His reply would be my first lesson.”
‘A simple test saved our daughter’s life.’: Mom explains how routine eye exam ends in emergency brain surgery
“It turns out the eyes are a window to the brain.”
