“I helplessly lay there, shivering as alarms were sounded and ‘Code Blue’ was called. The world started to go black around me. All I could hear was, ‘Heart problems, elfin appearance, intellectual disability, love of music.’ She was so, so small.”
‘Was her due date correct? Something’s off.’ The cord was wrapped around her neck 5 times. She was completely red.’: Mom births baby with Williams Syndrome, ‘There’s no shortage of love’
‘You’ll need a transplant. There’s no telling how soon.’ My skin turned yellow and I had NO energy. I was running out of time!’: Woman receives liver donated by mom, ‘I wear my scars proudly’
“I watched myself fade away, becoming sicker every week. It felt like I waited FOREVER for the perfect match. I had scabs everywhere. My kids grappled to understand what was happening to their mommy.”
‘We noticed wobbling in his eyes. My denial turned to heartbreak. ‘I can’t believe I passed on my problems.’: Woman learns to embrace blindness in herself and son, ‘I can guide him through life’
“‘No kids would want a blind mom!’ My husband told me not to worry, we’d do things differently, and would solve problems as they came. I assumed being a mom and wife was unreachable. He taught me differently.”
‘Unfortunately, you weren’t accepted.’ Everyone made jokes about me. ‘It’s because she’s FAT.’ My heart dropped.’: Young woman shares self-love journey, ‘I am worthy’
“’I know why you didn’t get in. They told us.’ My heart sank. ‘They didn’t think you’d be able to do physical activity.’ I was the only one who didn’t. It opened my eyes.”
‘How can ‘I’ be gay?’ Gay guys have great hair, creamy skin, and abs. I had a HUGE belly hanging over my pants.’: Gay man learns body acceptance, ‘Being plus-sized doesn’t define me’
“Nothing fit right. My mom brought me to the ‘husky’ section. ‘What does husky mean?’ She said, ‘It’s for boys like you.’ BOOM. There it was. It wasn’t what she said. It was how she said it, in an almost hush, as if it was something embarrassing to be discussed.”
‘Oh, honey.’ She noticed a cleft lip and clubbed feet. ‘This is going to be hard.’: Woman shares journey with daughter’s CHARGE syndrome
“Her growth began to slow. ’Rare but not unheard of’ became my life story. My daughter’s heart was giving up. ‘This is really hard news. But you can do this.’ It was exactly what I needed to hear.”
‘She’d take us on ‘missions’ in the night. It was her outlet for being a single mom. I was eventually placed in foster care.’: First generation college graduate and father shares journey, ‘I broke a generational barrier’’
“We experienced the trauma of being ripped away from our mom, as well as each other, and we were forced to live with families we didn’t know. I grew up sooner than I expected.”
‘We were 2 kids who thought we knew what life was about. We were SHOCKED to find out I was pregnant. I felt so ashamed.’: Young mom births daughter with Rett Syndrome, ‘I’m blessed to be part of her story’
“She was my sin who couldn’t be hidden from others. ‘Is this my punishment for how she was brought into the world?’ But I no longer want to hide. She is my reminder to choose LIFE.”
‘One baby’s heart is fine.’ Mom asked, ‘What about the OTHER?’ My first surgery was at 3 days old. It’s as bad as it gets.’: Woman survives heart disease, transplant, ‘Each day I rise’
“The surgeries were risky, and many didn’t make it through. None guaranteed survival.”
‘Will I be able to have a family?’ The rooms were filled with old ladies. I knew in my gut it wasn’t good.’: Breast cancer survivor inspires others, ‘I look forward to a beautiful future’
“I saw the hospital number on my cell. I grabbed my phone. ‘Monique, I’m so, so sorry.’ Questions flooded my mind.”