“CPS told my parents, ‘You cannot drop your kid off at a group home and not come back. If you don’t get her, you will be charged with abuse and neglect.’ My parents didn’t budge. At 14, I was given two weeks to find a new place to live. All I wanted was to be wanted. ‘I believe in you, I love you, you are worth it.’ My sister’s boss took me in.”
“I lost all energy whatsoever. My dad would come to my bedside when I couldn’t move a muscle without screaming and beg me to eat. ‘I want Louise back.’ I wasn’t able to carry on much longer.”
“I felt like I had the flu most days. I could never get warm, and I was getting severe migraines. I saw every specialist imaginable. I ended up housebound and bedridden.”
“‘Lexi has AIDS’ was written in graffiti outside my science class. Soon, the whole school knew. I was spit on, constantly told, ‘I hope you die.’ I was tired of fighting. ‘I don’t care if I die anymore.’ Immediately, my stepmother began planning my death party. ‘Enough is enough.’ A family friend took me to the school counselor to repost the abuse at home.”
“It’s 3 a.m. and my face is wet with tears. I’m Googling, ‘Am I an alcoholic?’ I never thought I’d be here. I had a glass or two most weekends during pregnancy. Why does this keep happening?”
“Every winter, I would get a sinus infection and be put on antibiotics. I had no idea what I was putting into my body was fueling my sickness. The pain was so bad. All hope was gone.”
“’We need to amputate.’ I’d never be able to play sports again, I’d never walk again, I probably wouldn’t go to college or get married. Everything I planned for suddenly came crashing down on me.”
“I had this perfect idea of what our lives would look like. I’ll never forget that phone call. ‘Your testing came back positive for Down Syndrome.’ I felt scared, but I also felt PEACE.”
“My head started spinning. The next thing I knew, I woke up lying on the cold bathroom floor. A team of nurses pulled out defibrillators. ‘Claire, can you hear me?’ It was excruciating. I couldn’t help but scream out.”
“I didn’t understand what came out of her mouth after ‘hysterectomy.’ NO WAY! Not at the age of 30! I was the strong one, I refused to let anyone see my fear.”
