“I spiked a 108-degree fever. I was stripped naked, covered with cold cloths, and had fans blasting my body. Soon after, I went psychotic. Nothing I said made sense, and everything had a twisted meaning. HGTV sent me into full-blown panic.”
‘The doctor said, ‘Something is brewing, but I just can’t put my finger on it.’ I went from a ‘migraine’ to blacking out for two months.’: Teen battling chronic illness urges ‘let the worst inspire the good’
‘There’s Gavan, the HEALTHY one!’ I did ANYTHING to be popular. But I was suffering silently.’: Young man shares struggle with eating disorder,’ ‘Helping others brings me pure joy’
“I heard my mother’s pleas. It all went in one ear and out the other. Until I was scared, too. A new Gavan was about to rise from the dust.”
‘You must love YOURSELF.’ At 4, she leans down so I hear her. I teach her about my difficulties, and free us from shame.’: Woman with hearing impairment describes ‘pure, deep, powerful’ motherhood
“My greatest love story has been motherhood. I’d been living my life in the dark, allowing negative thoughts about my disability to hold me back. Having her has healed me.”
‘I was striving for unattainable perfection.’: Woman with Cerebral Palsy shares battle with PTSD, ‘I was BORN to thrive’
“I didn’t see an end in sight. I stayed up for 32 hours straight as panic attacks caused me to blackout, resulting in concussions. I was tired. I was done.”
I Gave Birth To Twins, And Both Have Autism
“I started noticing red flags. The pediatrician reassured me, ‘They’re twins, it’s expected! They just take longer to learn skills.’ I took my concerns to Google, and all the ‘bad things’ and ‘never will be able’ sentences popped up.”
‘You’re pregnant, aren’t you?’ The results came in. She was beautiful, but seeing her in person was a shock.’: Baby born with spina bifida welcomed into family, ‘She’s a ray of sunshine’
“The specialist sat us down to give what typically is a solemn discussion. We cheered! To us, it was great news! Our hope for her was that she’d be a fighter.”
‘Your daughter tested positive.’ I asked, ‘What does this mean for her?’ The reply? ‘You can Google it.’ I was HYSTERICAL, but we didn’t give up.’: Woman becomes advocate after daughter born with Trisomy 18
“They told me, ‘She’ll grow out of these issues.’ If they didn’t see the potential in our daughter we weren’t having it. She fought like CRAZY to be here, and we weren’t giving up because of a piece of paper.”
‘The doctor said, ‘If you buy a toaster and it’s smashed, you know it won’t work.’ We were SPEECHLESS. We had to find a new ‘normal.’: Daughter born with Microcephaly, ‘She’s made AMAZING progress’
“‘We witnessed a little girl in a purple wheelchair being shaken and yelled at.’ That little girl was Melissa. Sometimes life leads you in the right direction at the right time.”
‘She said, ‘I am a girl in my heart and brain.’ I felt guilty she had to be physically restrained for haircuts.’: Mom advocates for trans daughter, says she ‘blossomed before our eyes’
“‘YOU made her this way!’ Dempsey had a strong interest in princesses and sparkly trinkets. She’d put fashion pajama pants on her head to simulate long hair.”
‘He had to learn how to ‘read’ tattoos. He started vomiting before every shift, always locking the doors and closing the curtains. He became suspicious of EVERYONE.’: Wife shares husband’s PTSD from job as a correctional officer, ‘It changed him’
“He left the penitentiary, but it didn’t leave him.”