“My brother didn’t care about his existence. Nothing could save my beautiful brother until he decided to save himself. My parents, they refused to give up.”
‘He presented no remorse for his actions and was in and out of jail. I watched my family wilt and fade.’: Sister expresses gratitude for brother’s sobriety, ‘My brother is back’
‘Starved for love, I made disastrous decisions. Eventually, I turned to food. I weighed in at 391 pounds, my body just as unhealthy as my soul.’: Survivor details battle with demons, ‘I am a beautiful disaster’
“Frozen in fear, you lay in your bed with that twisted knot in your stomach. There is always the question: who protected the little girl with the big, brown eyes? The answer? A resounding no one. I was a little girl.”
‘What the hell did she leave on my truck?’ This muscle-bound man was barreling towards me.’: Woman finds new purpose and true love delivering ‘Love Notes’ to veterans
“‘There is not a man alive who is going to understand what it is you do.’ I wish my mother could have seen the man I’d been praying for, the man she said did not exist, show up. It wasn’t an accident.”
‘Pregnant at 18, I heard, ‘You’re young, you’ll bounce back!’ It became etched in my mind. Stretch marks and loose skin? BAD.’: Mom learns to cherish postpartum body, ‘This body is my home’
“I tried all of the creams. For years, I wore only high-rise pants and would turn away from friends when we were getting dressed. I hated what I saw in the mirror. But one day, I looked down at my tummy and saw the ripples, the marks, the stretched belly button. And I smiled. This body is my home.”
‘Your girl looks sleepy,’ I knew something was wrong when a doctor, not my normal midwife, came in.’: Scary birth of miracle baby born during Covid-19 leaves mom ‘overwhelmed with gratitude’
“When she was born, everyone in the room gasped. Our rainbow baby became our miracle baby.”
‘The doctor paused at the end of the bed. ‘Uhhh…it’s a boy that looks a lot like a girl!’ My husband took a closer look. ‘OH MY GOD, IT’S A GIRL!!!’: Mom births baby with cleft lip, ‘She is my hero’
“We cried loud and hard and basked in that moment of complete shock and joy. The room seemed so loud, when suddenly somewhere in the room I hear the words, ‘What about the lip…’ and then deafening silence. I shot straight up, picked her up, and flipped her over. The world stopped. ‘Babe look….’ My husband turned pale.”
‘He was missing life. Strong Papa, who saved the day. My daughter wanted a tattoo like his.’: 15-year-old Granddaughter gets tribute tattoo for Papa after he passes from cancer
“When my daughter came off the field, I told her Papa wasn’t there to see her sing. She cried so hard. She knew how much he wanted to be there. It broke her heart.”
‘He met me at the door. ‘Close your eyes.’ I could tell by the eagerness in his voice, he had something delightful to show me.’: Widow recalls late husband’s emotional birthday for daughter
“He led me into the living room. I found myself dripping in anticipation. He took my hand and shuffled me to the center of the room. ‘Okay, open!’ he exclaimed. I didn’t realize I was crying until I reached up to wipe my face.”
‘Call 9-1-1!’ He started checking for unlocked doors. ‘Let’s break a window.’ I could see desperation on his face.’: Kind strangers help a woman after seizures cause terrifying car crash
“’Oh no, please don’t let that car tumble over the bridge!’ I said. The older gentleman looked my way. ‘Let’s break a window,’ he said. He searched his vehicle to find something with no luck. I looked around and now saw a huge semi slow and pull over on this tiny shoulder too. A SEMI! As I drove away, I knew I had made a difference that day.”
‘Let him be a kid. Stop trying to force medicine down his throat.’ I felt like I failed him.’: Woman has son with ADHD, daughter with Down syndrome, ‘Special needs do not have to be scary’
“’They won’t give you a diagnosis. You’re wasting your time.’ My heart sank. Two children with special needs? I barely made it to my car before I burst into tears.”