‘I heard a guttural scream and wondered where it was coming from. It was coming from me.”
‘Of course you’re OK!’ He’s 36, the prime of his life! ‘We don’t need sirens.’ Halfway there, the sirens turned on.’: Widow shares grief journey, ‘This won’t define our family’
‘This one won’t last.’ I was scared to get pregnant again. Anxiety can fool you, make you believe a lie.’: Mom opens up about anxiety after loss, ‘There’s no rulebook’
“We felt robbed. ‘I must have done something wrong.’ I shouldn’t have had that cup of coffee. I was angry at my body. The past comes to haunt your present.”
‘Remember why you’re getting sober.’ I took the onesie with me to rehab. I had to get better.’: Woman sobriety journey leads to twins, ‘We made this possible’
“I’d been happily drinking since I turned 21. I’d been UNhappily drinking for years. ‘It’s okay, I switched to wine.’ I couldn’t imagine my life without alcohol. I was so selfish.”
‘I handed her baby to her. ‘I’m so excited and proud of you.’ It was a precious moment between two mothers.’: Foster mom celebrates reunion, ‘It’s a blessing to see others heal’
“One of my kids screamed, ‘They’re here!’ I gathered her things and met her momma. The exchange spoke a million words. That was it. The moment that healed.”
‘If I lose 10 more pounds, I’ll be happy.’ I had a postpartum body to ‘fix.’ I was terrified of getting fat.’: Mom overcomes postpartum depression and eating disorder, ‘Change is possible’
“I blamed myself for not being like other moms who had it all together. I would halt a workout and walk out of the gym if I spotted a fitter girl. It drove me into a pit of despair.”
‘I remember being ripped open. ‘Let me tell him I love him. Just once.’ I can hear the final scream.’: New mom battles traumatic labor and postpartum depression, ‘Some stories don’t have happy endings’
“Tears were toppling from my unmoving gaze, the sound of them dripping onto the pillow beneath me was deafening. ‘Please just let me see his face. I can still feel the panic washing over me as my husband left my side. I can still hear the final scream hanging in the sterile air.”
‘Why suffer when there’s medication!’ I begged for help, no one heard.’: Widow suffers PTSD, finds herself, ‘I finally embraced the woman I once knew’’
“’I can’t do this anymore.’ I was stuck in molasses, unable to move forward. ‘PTSD? That’s for those in the army, or for major trauma.’ I was speechless.”
‘They found cancer in her blood.’ The wind was knocked out of me. I bawled like a baby.’: Single dad says 2-year-old battling cancer ‘gives me the strength to go on’
“The news came one night when I was teaching a zoom class. I remember holding onto her so tightly, weeping. I had a choice to make. Would I choose to carry the legacy of my late wife or give up?”
‘It was my last chance.’ I burst into tears. I was only 22 and felt like my life was over.’: Woman details journey with Nephrotic syndrome, ‘I’m on the path to healing’
“I was covered in hives. My cheeks were flushed, and I gasped for air. ‘I hoped this was the answer.’ I was allergic to my last shot at remission. It had all been for nothing.”
‘He’ll be bulletproof!’ I handed him to the nurse and we locked eyes. Chaos ensued.’: Baby born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, ‘I love to be reminded of how he lived’
‘At 6 days old, Lawson had his first open-heart surgery. My baby had been through SO much. I was ready to give him the gift of time and life. He’s perfect.”