“They say when people drown, it’s silent. Nobody around them can see them, hear them, or help them. The person drowning is slipping further and further beneath the surface, slowly suffocating. That’s what it felt like. I was drowning every day, suffocating, desperate for a breath, watching to the world around me carry on, with no idea that I was dying. But no matter how hard, I always choose to keep going.”
‘My abuser is a free man. Free to prey on more innocents, free to destroy more lives. I’m not willing to be silent anymore.’: Abuse survivor candidly shares journey of pain and resilience
‘We’ve spent over $100k and still don’t have a living baby.’: Cystic fibrosis warrior shares candid reality of infertility battle, IVF
“It’s been two years of pumping my body full of every hormone you can imagine. One to make me ovulate, one to stop ovulating. Birth control pills to control your cycle, then hormones to throw you into menopause. Estrogen pills, patches, vaginal suppositories, and injections.”
‘A couple were looking for help to grow their family. My husband said, ‘I’d never stop you blessing the lives of others.’: Mom of 5 becomes gestational carrier
“The process of getting pregnant with someone else’s baby is equally terrifying and exhilarating.”
‘I told my husband I couldn’t do it anymore. The fear in his voice when he told me to give Raelynn to him scared me even more.’: Mom opens up about postpartum anxiety journey
“I hit my breaking point when I found myself on the floor hyperventilating and crying. I just couldn’t take it anymore. I had no idea what to do with a newborn, even though I’d done it before.”
‘I need to speak with you about your ultrasound.’ My placenta had connected to my firstborn’s face.’: Mom shares journey birthing son with cleft lip and palate, blindness
“I noticed voicemails on my home phone. Everyone had our cell numbers, so I couldn’t imagine who could have called our house and left not one, but three messages. Surprisingly, it was my doctor. ‘Something doesn’t look right.’ She wanted me to call her back, but didn’t say any more than that.”
‘The church said no to women wearing pants. Makeup was frowned upon. At 13, there was no room for mistakes or mishaps.’: Woman battling ROCD, childhood trauma shares journey to healthy relationship
“There was no safe place for me to let down my guard, so instead I maintained the ‘strong, perfect and unflawed church girl image,’ even though there was a battle looming between me and my mind.”
‘We’re all recovering from something. And YOU, mama, are not alone.’: Mother idealizes world where moms support moms in solidarity
“Some say actions speak louder than words, but I would argue words are a very honorable start. So, I want to start this conversation: Hi. My name is Mama, and I’m tired.”
‘This is 3 years and 3 days without a drink. And those 3 extra days are the best of all.’: Mom details sobriety journey, shares words of encouragement
“These last 3 days, I forgot I stopped drinking. I forgot about the hangovers. I forgot about the mornings laced with self-hate. I forgot about the cycle of numbing out and hurting. Those were the weakest parts of my life.”
‘Hold on, Zac, the ambulance is coming.’ I was face down in the middle of the road, and I couldn’t feel any of my limbs.’: Man shares journey towards recovery after spinal cord injury
“I woke up out of a dead sleep and said to myself, ‘It’s time to get to work.’ It felt as if a weight was just lifted off my shoulders. This injury will not define me.”
‘Before I walked across the stage in 1992, as the youngest R.N. in my class, I had already received a different title: ‘Mother.’ Twice.’: Teen mom defies odds to become awarded nurse
“When I walked across the stage at 22, I was determined to lead by example. I wanted to show any young mother out there the choice is theirs to make. Only you can decide how your life will turn out.”