“When I was a teenager, I completely lost my walking ability. It took time for people to realize what was inside me. The wheelchair always stole my role. It was like I was in a dress that didn’t belong to me.”
‘What’s wrong with you? Why are you walking like that?’ I didn’t want to be in a wheelchair. I stood out too much.’: Woman shares journey as wheelchair model, ‘This beautiful body is mine’
‘I donated 112 GALLONS. It’s a high I’ve never felt before.’: Mom donates breast milk to micro preemies, ‘Every box I ship brings me joy’
“I was able to help feed that little girl until she turned a year old and it was such an amazing feeling knowing that something my body created was able to nourish and help grow another human being other than my own!”
‘Wouldn’t it be SO cool for her to be born at 11:11 a.m.?’ I kept praying, ‘God let it be.’ I HAD to have hope again.’: Couple adopts biological sisters after infertility, ‘Miracles do happen’
“I am not going to say it became rainbows and butterflies, because it didn’t. There was still this deep, deep ache and question of ‘why,’ and a yearning to become a mama.”
‘She must be dramatic. She isn’t actually sick.’ I must convince doctors I’m not an addict looking for pain meds. I beg to be taken seriously.’: Woman battling Celiac Disease explains ‘this isn’t just a food allergy’
“I was an all-star cheerleader. From the outside, I seemed perfectly healthy. After that first week in the hospital, I was discharged and told this was a ‘fluke thing’ and I needed to go on a ‘low-fat diet.’ Soon, the hair loss, stomach pains, bruises, and infections started. I was 90 pounds and miserable.”
‘A mother has chosen you.’ It didn’t feel real. As painful as it was, I’d do it all over again.’: Couple adopts after ‘gut-wrenching’ disrupted adoption, ‘Everything led us to this moment’
“We finally felt like becoming parents was in our foreseeable future. For 3 days, we lived in her NICU room and slept on the tiny couch together. But her birth mother chose to keep her. Our hearts SHATTERED.”
I Grew Up With Crippling Anxiety, And I Didn’t Know It
“I never made it to my second day of high school. My fear of leaving the house quickly grew within me. I always thought the world revolved around drinking, but then I realized, I made my world revolve around it.”
‘It’s just growing pains, don’t worry about it!’ I couldn’t even walk. I was terrified. I HAD to speak up for myself.’: Young chronic illness warrior details road to diagnosis, ‘I took on this journey with a smile’
“My cardiologist told me, ‘It’s all in your head.’ She was mad I couldn’t even stand for an assessment. I tried to push through. How could she say what I was going through wasn’t real?”
‘I kept wondering, ‘Why hasn’t it happened yet?’ Our story is painful, but I know I’m not alone.’: Waiting mom ‘crafts hope’ for others struggling with infertility, ‘I’m waiting for my rainbow’
“Each month, my period showed up right on schedule. After ‘only’ 6 months, I was so sad. My stomach was bulging to one side. I could tell something was wrong. ‘It’s likely kidney cancer.’ Our world was totally rocked.”
‘My life was out of control. I drank as much as possible to escape. ‘Why is this happening to me?’ I only had half of my hair left, but I couldn’t give up.’: Woman with alopecia takes back her life, ‘I made myself a priority’
“I covered all of the mirrors in my apartment and closed all of the blinds. I didn’t want to see my family or friends. I didn’t want anyone to be near me. I was so ashamed and disgusted with myself. My hair was my security blanket, but it was almost gone.”
‘Worst case, you’ll end up in respiratory failure.’ I was admitted to the hospital. Little did I know, 17 months later, I’d still be there.’: Woman diagnosed with rare autoimmune disorder, ‘I’m lucky to be alive’
“It was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever been through in my life. I could barely breathe. ’I think you have myasthenia gravis.’ It’s like being trapped in your body. No one knew if I would make it.”