Category: Health

‘The officer said, ‘There’s been an incident at the pool.’ I expected stitches. ‘I’m going to get right to the point, Jason died tonight.’: Woman diagnosed with cancer after husband’s death, ‘I’m choosing to LIVE’

“We sat in a circle on a bedroom floor. ‘Last night daddy went swimming. His body died. He won’t come home ever again.’ One week after the funeral, I received a call: ‘You have cancer, and not the run-of-the-mill kind. It travels distantly and doesn’t always respond to treatments.’ The rubble of my life had just caught fire.”

Devon Ledbetter - Sep 22, 2020

We Adopted An Abandoned Girl With No Hands, Feet, Or Mouth—Because Everyone Deserves A Forever Family

“Her file labeled ‘harder to adopt’ arrived. It held pages upon pages filled with pictures, details, and medical records. We cried all the way through it.”

Emily Richey - Sep 22, 2020

‘We’re working like our kids aren’t there, parenting like we don’t work. I knew giving birth was hard, but this is so much harder.’: Mom says ‘we make the impossible happen’

“I am not a working mom or a stay-at-home mom. I am both. Somehow, someway, us moms always make the impossible happen.”

Sophia San Filippo - Sep 22, 2020

I Overcome My Imposter Syndrome With This Simple But Powerful Tip

“I had major ‘imposter syndrome.’ I was obsessed with telling myself I wasn’t good enough.”

Elizabeth Grow - Sep 22, 2020

‘He was arching his back and screaming for air. Literally, panting. We were stuck. All we could do was pray and pack.’: Family returns from Guatemala after almost losing son

“I wanted to scream, ‘This baby strapped to my chest almost died last night. Our world is falling apart.’ Our dreams were shattered. We found ourselves back in our hometown looking for purpose.”

Emily Richey - Sep 22, 2020

‘My mom called. ‘Your father didn’t come home last night.’ He always comes home. There was a truck lying in someone’s fence.’: Woman starts small business with help from late father’s support

“I took on 3 different jobs to pay tuition. My dad said, ‘Remember to always believe in yourself and you can accomplish it.’ Coming home from work, my husband was hit by a car on the freeway. I was unknowingly 8 weeks pregnant. We knew there was more we needed to accomplish together; our life did not end there.”

Sophia San Filippo - Sep 22, 2020

‘I can’t understand you!’ I wrote it down on my hand. He started speaking slowly, as if I was less intelligent.’: Woman with facial anomaly hopes to ‘normalize all bodies’

“It’s exhausting trying to pump gas or sit in my kids’ karate class and be stared at constantly. When people see my face, they assume my intelligence.”

Emily Richey - Sep 22, 2020

‘I don’t deserve it.’ That hate you have towards yourself? The harm you directly cause yourself? That’s on you.’: Woman talks ‘world of difference’ gratitude has made

“People will NOT feel sorry for you if you CHOOSE to beat yourself up.”

Elizabeth Grow - Sep 21, 2020

Self-Care Isn’t As Easy As A Bubble Bath Or Glass Of Wine

“It’s investing in your startup business no one knows about. It’s no longer waiting for a socially distant invite from that popular mom group. It’s declining a dinner invitation because, no, you can’t afford it this month. It’s working hard every day, even when you might not see immediate results.”

Sophia San Filippo - Sep 21, 2020

‘That looks intolerable. I can’t stand it.’ It looked like I’d been burnt in a fire. I quickly pulled my shirt sleeve down.’: Woman puts career on hold to heal psoriasis, find self-love

“I was oozing and bleeding. My co-worker said, ‘Are you doing something about it?’ I said, ‘Yes, I’m getting it treated once I finish our deadline first.’ She spoke the words I knew in my heart: ‘If I were you, I would go now. Health should be your priority.’ I left my rising career in a prestigious design firm in San Francisco.”

Erika Fonseca - Sep 21, 2020