“There was well over 15 feet between them, but my god did that moment feel like a hug. That weight, the one that’s been on my heart, it drained right out of me. Our kids are going to be just fine. They are going to be more than just fine.”
‘My name is Brittany. My mom’s name was Malissa, but she died.’ My daughter stopped in her tracks. ‘Do you want to play with us?’: Mom shares touching moment, ‘We are going to be just fine’
‘Stop stressing about the uncertainties. Worry about that little heartbeat in that litte chest. It’s beating because we fought and overcame.’: Mom reassures ‘things will all work out in the end’
“Walk past the dirty dishes, the stack of bills, the toys scattered across the floors. Go straight to your child’s room and put your hand on their chest, feel their heart. In and out, in and out. Those little breaths and that little heart are your purpose. It’s beating because you overcame.”
‘Is 9 a.m. too early for Tequila? I’m slowly losing my mind. Maybe not so slowly, really.’: Mom speaks to difficulty of parenting during pandemic, says ‘maybe we’ve got to lose it a bit’
“Stuff is hitting the fan, and I’m out of wipes, candles, and Febreze; the mop is missing; and the vacuum isn’t working — at least that’s how it feels. Like I was/am totally and completely ill-prepared for the day-to-day. A day-to-day and hour-to-hour I cannot predict or plan for.”
‘I think this will break me.’ I lost 2 liters of blood. My reality is other women’s worst nightmare.’: Woman experiences multiple miscarriages, ‘I will survive anything’
“I am the woman other women say, ‘I’m so sorry’ and ‘I can’t imagine’ to. I fainted at home and the ambulance had to be called. I don’t think I understood how strong I could be.”
‘We walked through the door. His first word was, ‘DADDY!’ He lived his whole life in foster care. Weeks later, we found out we were pregnant!’: Bereaved mom adopts boy from foster care, births 3 sons
“The social worker asked, ‘What ethnicities are you open to?’ We sent Jonah a video of us, a stuffed animal, and a security blanket with our scent so it would be familiar. Every night, he slept with the stuffed animal and blanket. He watched our video, over and over and over again. We just ‘knew’ he was meant to be ours!”
‘It’s sitting one on one with a child. Making sure they know you care, they’re heard, and they matter.’: Teacher talks reality of teaching, ‘if you think you know, think again’
“It’s giving so much it leaves you empty. It’s finding a way to refill your tank, because they will need you again tomorrow. It’s simply taking them by the hand and hoping you have instilled enough trust and lessons and love in them, that one day, they will let you go.”
‘I pulled back the shower curtain in shock. Her eyes were sunken in, her lips blue. ‘Your daughter will likely pass.’ I sat with my head in my hands. ‘Why won’t anyone look at me?!’: Girl survives flu after 93-day battle in hospital, ‘Her health will never be the same’
“I called my husband. ‘There’s no time. Get home quickly.’ The doctor informed us, ‘If Madi doesn’t respond, we will have to intubate her.’ I just stood there in shock. ‘I don’t understand. She only has pneumonia.’ Something else was going on with her body. It all started with fever, body aches, and a cough.”
‘How can something this terrible exist?’ He had a fever for 105 days. This is our new reality.’: After son’s Sanfilippo Syndrome diagnosis, family raises money for cure, ‘Time is precious’
“Carter went from speaking two-word sentences to having his vocabulary drop to less than ten words. ‘He’s 3 and not potty trained?’ I laughed, ‘Oh, you know boys.’ Our sweet, joyful little boy did a complete 180 before our very eyes.”
‘It’s just first-time mom anxiety.’ I was insistent something was wrong. The hours were unnecessarily traumatic.’: Mom mourns loss of baby born sleeping, ‘He came to heal parts of my soul’
“The nurse lectured me about being active and eating healthy, even though I could clearly see the box of Twinkies on her desk. I made three separate trips to the ER for bleeding. The doctor said, ‘There is nothing to be done now.’”
‘My dad is the town crackhead. He cried when he met my son for the first time. Every year for my birthday, he gets me a present.’: Daughter to addict urges ‘he was someone before drugs’
“Next time you see an addict on the street and you think they’re just a junkie or piece of garbage, please remember that’s someone’s family, someone’s dad, someone son, someone’s sibling, and they were someone before drugs or alcohol took them over. My dad may be an addict, but he never stops trying.”