“In the blink of an eye, the word suicide is a part of my vocabulary and my family story.”
‘In the blink of an eye, they were killed. I am a teenager, time and time again being informed of funerals for people I know.’: Woman recalls loved ones lost, ‘We are all one unexpected tragedy away from heartbreak’
‘I couldn’t grasp how we went from a happy new family of 5 to our world being turned upside down! Our sweet, perfect baby girl went into brain surgery at just 9 days old.’
“In her 34 years of work, she had never seen a brain bleed so severe, didn’t know what kind of quality of life she would have, and said she would be in a vegetable state. She had a terrible bedside manner, and came off as harsh and unfeeling to me.”
My Birthing Experience Was Traumatic, Devoid Of Empathy, And Nearly Lethal
“‘Oh honey,’ the doctor replied, ‘You’re just being hormonal. Every woman goes through a part of her labor where she doesn’t think she can do it.’ I was shocked. I wanted some damn answers.”
‘I begged my husband to come back, but he was done. He took sole custody of the kids.’: Mom’s journey to heal her family after struggling with addiction
“I drove high with my kids in the car. He packed up, took the kids and left. I was devastated. My marriage was over, and I wasn’t expecting to get my husband back, but I desperately wanted a relationship with my children. The only thing that stopped me from committing suicide was because it was my daughter’s 5th birthday the next week. I didn’t want my death hanging over that date.”
‘Levi has been begging to wear a dress to school. You can see the pure joy on his face. But my heart raced as we took him to school.’: Mom says no one should ever be shamed for being true to themselves
“As I left, I couldn’t help but pray and hope he would have a perfect day. Until I got a phone call.”
‘You’re paralyzed from the waist down.’ I was thrown 50 feet and landed on my back. I was told I’d never walk again.’: Woman makes amazing recovery after car accident, ‘My journey isn’t over’
“I remember my first thought being ‘Lilly!’ I tried to get up, but couldn’t move. I couldn’t feel. I couldn’t do anything. Seconds later, someone screamed, ‘Say something, say something!’ And all I said was, ‘Help.’ I was life-flighted. I died that day. I took my last breath when first responders put me in that helicopter. EMT’s did chest compressions the whole way. I was rushed straight in the OR. No one knew if I would even make it through the night.”
‘I ran across an old boyfriend’s picture today. Not just any boyfriend, but the one who broke my heart, the one I was certain was ‘the one.’: Woman reminisces about life, ‘Sometimes the end of the road isn’t the end of the journey’
“I cried over him. I lost weight over him. I stayed in bed for a week over him, and then went out every night for a month over him. I kept running it over and over in my head, completely melted into my mess thinking, ‘God, why? I don’t deserve this.'”
‘Marry that boy. Make him happy.’ I would wear makeup to cover the bruises on my cheek.’: Woman’s husband suffers from PTSD, traumatic brain injury post-military, ‘Never give up on their love’
“I thought he was just angry and stressed out. When he slowed down, his brain would wander. He blacked out while driving us down the highway and started to scream. ‘If you don’t get help, I’m taking the baby and leaving.’ It’s like losing the person you fell in love with and not being able to mourn.”
‘He wasn’t going to make it. The nurse placed her hand over my back. I shrieked. She knew what I knew.’: Woman surprised with pregnancy after husband’s death
“On our wedding day, by the end of the night, he was drained. The morning after, he slept in late because he was so exhausted. The night we celebrated his life, I took a pregnancy test. It was positive. It felt like a complete surprise, until I went for the ultrasound. My heart skipped a beat. July 27th was the due date. Jesse’s birthday.”
‘Bri, the smell is getting worse.’ I open the cabinet under the sink. My dad screams, ‘The house is on fire, we need to get out!’
“All of a sudden, a large cloud of smoke starts creeping in – and fast.”