“When I went to doctors, I didn’t get answers. Instead, I entered into a world of discrimination and trauma. ‘You just want pain meds.’ I’d need a lot of strength for the next part of my journey.”
‘Your tests came back fine, just do yoga.’ I spent 29 years thinking I was weak. I was done feeling like a victim.’: Chronic illness warrior welcomes rainbow baby, ‘I’m proud of who I am’
‘Can you spare some milk?’ Her child was having a hard time with formula. My eyes were opened to a whole new world.’: Mom donates breastmilk to those in need, ‘It’s ALL worth it’
“I’d fantasize about calling in sick to work and checking into a hotel just to sleep. I wanted to quit.”
‘My report cards constantly read, ‘Hazel needs to socialize with her peers.’ I realized how different I was.’: Woman shares journey to autism diagnosis, ‘I’m embracing myself’
“I would copy and paste the personalities of those around me. My sense of identity was so lost. I was in survival mode.”
‘I yelled, ‘Someone tell me what is wrong!’ Tears streamed down my face. I knew something was different about this pregnancy, and it was NOT just the pandemic.’: Teen mom turned special needs mom shares journey with Down syndrome
“I was 16 and pregnant. A statistic, as most saw it. ‘I cannot do this, I’m not cut out for this.’ I remember thinking our life was over, but little did we know, it was just starting.”
‘She casually started talking about ‘OUR SON.’ Then I realized I was 2 weeks late.’: Couple surprised by miracle baby after open adoption, ‘It was meant to be!’
“I felt queasy. ‘What’s wrong?’ I’d never seen a positive, EVER. Something felt different this time. After only 30 seconds, the results were in. Our lives changed forever.”
‘The thinner I got, the more attention I received. I decided to quit eating altogether.’: Eating disorder survivor opens up about self-love, ‘I’m at peace with my body’
“I starved myself Saturday through Thursday, only eating six pretzels and half an apple every day. Then Friday came and I’d black out. That was my life. I lived for food.”
Yes, Having A Big Family Is Awesome — Here’s Why
“But of course, just like any family, there are pros and cons.”
‘I got an alert on my DNA app. It was my birth father! He didn’t even know I existed.’: Adoptee shares search for birth family, pursues adoption, ‘My story is still being written’
“We never imagined we’d be on our own adoption journey. ‘Prepare your hearts.’ We felt lost and confused. The next day, I had an alert on my DNA app.”
‘I was surrounded by beautiful fat women I adored and admired, and I watched them hate their bodies.’: Woman shares self love journey, ‘I move with freedom’
“I saw my mom tell herself she’d get back into her size 10 Levi’s someday. I saw women in bikinis being ridiculed on magazine covers. My body was something I was stuck inside of that I wasn’t happy with.”
‘Are babies supposed to breathe that fast?’ I couldn’t shake the feeling something was terribly wrong.’: Mom shares newborn’s journey with congenital heart defect, ‘He’s THRIVING’
“At his 48-hour checkup, Liam looked perfect. He was gaining weight beautifully. I had a strange feeling. ‘He’s breathing 90 times per minute.’ That sentence made the doctors pause.”