“I held him and assured him, ‘We’ll get through this together.’ We got through that relapse. And the next one. He relapsed three more times. And then, just like that, he was gone.”
‘Justin walked into the room and began to sob. ‘I relapsed.’ My heart sank.’: Widow honors late boyfriend by traveling, ‘I’m seeing these views for him’
‘My brother pointed out, ‘It’s common for siblings to have it.’ A lightbulb went off in my head.’: Woman with autism raises awareness for neurodiversity
“I always knew in my gut my brother was different, so the diagnosis wasn’t shocking. I didn’t see myself in that image, but I began to research. Boy, did I research!”
‘You’re not good enough! You’re alone! No one loves you or cares about you!’: Woman struggling with depression, anxiety says ‘I’m worth it’
“I was alone in my apartment, overwhelmed by this pain in my chest. I grabbed a knife and sat in the dark. Tears ran down my face. The only noise was coming from my head and it was screaming at me.”
My Mom May Have Forgotten My Name, But She Will Always Know My Soul
“She didn’t know our relation, but she knew the sound of my voice. She didn’t recognize my face, but she recognized my soul. She felt safe and loved with me, even if she didn’t know why.”
‘Just 5 months after having my third baby I heard, ‘You need to sit down. I don’t know how to say this. I’m so sorry.’: Mom of 3 beats triple negative breast cancer
“My head was urging me something wasn’t right while my heart was wanting to ignore this all and resume my normal life. ‘How is this happening to me?’ I was only 27, living a healthy lifestyle. I kept repeating, ‘I can’t leave my daughters without a mother.’ I collapsed into my husband’s arms, hysterically crying.”
‘Only middle-aged men get that disease.’ I was only 22 and my body was falling apart.’: Woman with Ankylosing Spondylitis becomes wellness life coach
“On days I didn’t work, I spent the whole day on the couch. When I managed to get to the grocery store, I felt like a robot that had powered down. My brain just didn’t work.”
‘My sons see themselves in the pages of books we read. But what about everyone else?’: Mom starts inclusive ‘Kind Kids Book Club’
“My sons are knights on horseback, dinosaur keepers, doctors, pilots, sidekicks, heroes. What about different cultures and countries, strong girls and women, and people with disabilities? The little things matter.”
‘I’ve been in pain every day for a year,’ I confessed. This was more than a headache.’: Woman with kidney disease ‘proud to be an advocate’
“When 3 o’clock approached, I’d start bracing myself. ‘No one gets headaches at the same time every day.’ Just because an issue is in your head doesn’t mean it’s not real.”
‘Isabella has potential…but is easily distracted.’ I am not stupid. I am neurodivergent.’: Woman diagnosed with ADHD urges ‘representation matters’
“When I looked in the mirror, I felt broken. Now, all I see is a small angel who needed someone to nurture her mind.”
‘After a life of pretending to be normal, I finally let myself be me.’: Woman diagnosed with autism, ADHD as an adult
“It felt my identity had been built up like a Jenga tower. I started removing bricks and at the same time, I was piling new bricks on top. It led to a complete collapse. I broke.”