“I was terrified of what my future would look like. I vomit in my mouth at least three times a day, and I can’t drink water. My migraine never went away. It’s been over 80 days without relief. The answers are out there.”
‘It’s obviously psychological.’ Doctors dismissed my pain. I lost over 20% of my bodyweight in 8 months. I felt like a zombie.’: Chronic illness warrior finds hope, ‘I’m still fighting for answers’
‘Just keep trying!’ My biological clock was ticking. Adoption was dead last on my list. I had NO desire to ‘share’ my child with anyone else.’: Couple pursues adoption after infertility, ‘They mended my heart’
“I viewed infertility as a problem to be solved. ‘If you choose to adopt, your child will always have two sets of parents and families. You’re just going to have to deal with it.’ So much for a spoonful of sugar with our medicine. I scribbled out ‘adoption’ as a choice.”
‘You’re a MONSTER.’ I felt like I needed to ‘win’ her love. But my dad never let me down.’: Childhood abuse survivor adopted, ‘I FINALLY feel loved’
“My dad NEVER let me down. He never promised anything he couldn’t keep. When you think about it, I had my adoptive parents my whole life. They just couldn’t call me theirs until it was legal to do so.”
‘NO! I’m not willing to give this up for ANYTHING!’ I thought no one else could love me.’: Woman finds peace after abusive relationship, ‘If your compassion does not include yourself, it’s incomplete’
“Don’t assume a man or a ring can make you feel the love and acceptance you’re longing for.”
‘We’re being secretly recorded for a reality show!’ There was something wrong with me. I was completely paranoid.’: Woman with Bipolar Disorder becomes advocate, ‘It’s a constant battle’
“I was in a shoe store with my mom, talking to strangers in what I thought was Spanish. I’m not bilingual, but in my mind, I thought I knew the language. I’d been off my whole life, but I never knew why.”
‘All of the sudden, I heard a gunshot and fell to the ground. ‘I can’t feel my legs.’ I lifted my shirt to see a hole in my chest.’: Paraplegic advocates for accessibility, ‘It’s made me who I am’
“It was back to square one. I had to learn to sit up, roll over in bed, get dressed. The one single aggravating moment I remember well was trying to put on my socks, which felt like an impossible feat. It literally took over an hour. It was never easy.”
‘I was called a ‘big-nosed Jew.’ I NEEDED to fit in. When I got my diagnosis, I was in denial. My disability was the first thing people saw.’: Woman with muscular dystrophy finds self-acceptance, ‘I’m unapologetically me’
“I changed my name and perfected my accent. No one knew about my past. I exercised, dieted, tanned, toned, concealed, and accentuated—all for attention. Then I noticed muscle weakness. At that moment, I knew.”
‘She has a 2% chance of survival.’ My whole life became this beautiful little girl. Then I realized we had more in common than I thought.’: Man with autism turns to running to show daughter ‘Daddy can do it’
“Doctors thought she was blind, but I knew she was autistic. I needed to show her autism could be a gift. Running was the answer to how I was feeling. I downloaded an app, gathered equipment, and our adventure began.”
‘Mom, I want to join cross country!’ She looked confused. If your child had a life-threatening disease, you’d hesitate too.’: Runner with cystic fibrosis follows dream, ‘Giving up wasn’t an option’
“Who’d believe a little girl like me with such an evil disease would be SO GOOD. My mom called my dad and said, ‘Your daughter is winning, and not just by a little!’”
‘You have an 80% chance of getting breast cancer.’ I’d worked so hard to feel confident in my own skin. Would surgery change that?’: BRCA1 carrier details self-love journey, ‘You’re stronger than you know’
“I spent most of my life at war with my body. I heard one of the girls utter the word, ‘Pig.’ Me. They thought I looked like a pig. I looked in the mirror and realized I didn’t look like them. I was different.”