“There wasn’t a person Ryan wasn’t friends with, or Ryan wouldn’t be friends with in the near future. He’s more similar to me than different.”
‘Their disabilities seemed SO different, how do I bridge the gap?’ I matched with Ryan. He was friends with EVERYONE.’: Woman advocates for those with Down syndrome, ‘We all want to be valued’
‘You have 2 cervixes and 2 uteruses.’ People couldn’t be ‘bothered’ with my bad days. ‘You’re either in, or out.’: Woman learns to advocate for herself after Endometriosis, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome diagnoses
“Living everyday in an unknown, unpredictable state affects you more than people realize.”
‘We have 3 kids who were taken away from their mother.’ We went from zero to 3, INSTANTLY. I can’t believe we said yes.’: LGBTQ couple fosters 3 siblings, ‘Loving them is easy’
“‘You’re the ONLY home in the county who can take all 3.’ No pressure, right? After a few volleys, we told each other these kids don’t have anyone else.”
‘I was bursting with joy. Every cell in my body had been waiting for this moment. I was on top of the world!’: Woman with cerebral palsy celebrates high school graduation, ‘I am more than my disability’
“One of my teachers said, ‘How can we be sure it’s Astrid who does her homework?’ It felt like I’d been stabbed in the stomach. Of course I had done my homework myself. I was living in a society filled with prejudices.”
‘There’s a woman who posts beautiful things, and the one I come home to, who ISN’T okay.’ He accused me of being a fraud.’: Mom diagnosed with Lupus, multiple chronic illnesses, ‘We’re worthy of living our best lives’
“I was a mother who was too exhausted to mother, a creative who could not create, and a woman on fire to serve, but unable.”
10 Things I’ve Learned After 70 Years On Earth
“If you have to decide between doing a few loads of laundry or going on an adventure…choose the latter. The laundry will be there when you return.”
‘I thought I just had a ‘strong’ pregnancy. ‘You don’t think it’s TWINS, do you?’ Sure enough, we saw two of the most beautiful heartbeats.’: Couple battling infertility welcome twins, ‘It’s a dream come true’
“My husband said, ‘At the end of the day, when we’re looking back on our life, we want to know we did everything we could.’ Two months later, we began IVF. I heard the words I’d prayed over for a long, long time.”
‘She’s going to slide right out, right??’ Suddenly, my midwife’s eyes went wide. The color drained from my face.’: Mom survives extremely rare Group Strep A placenta infection, delivers miracle baby
“This never happens. EVER! My white blood cell count went from 16, already a little high, to 38,000. Yes, you read that right.”
‘She is probably tired.’ There was no movement. I found a glimmer of hope. I’d be with her every minute I could.’: Daughter born with Cerebral Palsy, ‘Her strength is inspiring’
“Even in our darkest hours, we find joy. Jaxlee’s smile can light up a room. She shines with joy but also resilience. She has weathered SO much.”
‘Get AWAY! You’re not my mom!’ I couldn’t believe what we’d gotten ourselves into. We were NOT cut out for this.’: Couple embarks on foster care journey, ‘It truly takes a village’
“‘You’re the LAST family on our list.’ They were going to be separated. ‘Can we really handle 2 kids right now?’ We COULDN’T be the reason they were separated. We agreed to ‘try.'”