“I went into the hospital, screaming how intense the pain was. The staff took my parents out of the room to ask, ‘Is she pretending to be ill for attention?’ I thought once I was diagnosed, all this would change.”
‘I think I’m going to die.’ My body was shutting down. If I closed my eyes, they wouldn’t open again.’: Chronic illness warrior battling Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome says ‘hope keeps us alive’
‘What have I done to deserve this?’ I’d wake up hoping the drugs and alcohol had killed me in my sleep. The pain was unbearable’: Man with Crohn’s disease celebrates 8 months sober
“At age 20, I had two feet of my small bowel removed. I’d be straining my stomach acid out. I didn’t tell anyone about how much it was affected my mental health. I started drinking in the daytime. I wanted to end my life.”
‘Are you ready to meet him?’ He was born addicted to methadone. I didn’t know what to expect. The moment I saw him, I knew he was my son.’: Couple battling infertility for 7 years share adoption journey
“Each pregnancy announcement was more and more heartbreaking. It felt like we weren’t meant to be parents. Our attorney called, ‘She’s interested in talking to you.’ We were beyond shocked.”
‘If you tell anyone about this, you won’t live.’ I was determined to break the generational curses and trauma. Survival mode kicked in.’: Abuse survivor shares journey to healing and self-love
“At 3 years old, I was forced to drink raw eggs and smoke half of a cigarette by my mom’s boyfriend. The court system failed me. At 19, I became homeless. I tried to leave my relationship but found myself fighting an uphill battle. By the time I had my second daughter, I knew I needed to find a way out.”
‘Am I going to get sick?’ I lived in fear of myself and what people thought of me. I started ripping my hair out.’: Woman shares struggles with Borderline Personality Disorder, ‘It gets so much better’
“I found myself missing school daily. I’d wake up, feel a little sick, and have a full-blown panic attack. Panic attacks made me hate every second of my life. I wanted to end it all.”
‘The pamphlet said, ‘Life expectancy, 30 years. ‘That’s NOT me.’ My parents raised me to be FEARLESS.’: Cystic Fibrosis warrior shares journey, ‘I live on my own terms’
“My parents were told, ‘You probably won’t see his 20th birthday.’ I was in complete shock, fear ran through me. But I live with a ‘NO EXCUSE’ attitude.”
‘What about the birth parents?’ We were gaining HER, too. We had no morning sickness or ultrasounds. THIS was the plan.’: Mom shares adoption journey, ‘She’s brought more joy than we ever thought possible’
“When we finally saw her, I was in awe. We couldn’t just gloss over the trauma our newborn felt. Adoption is full of celebration for the love of a child, but it is also full of pain, loss, and grief.”
‘An idea popped into my head which sounded CRAZY.’ ‘You are going to ruin your daughter’s life!’: Single mom builds loving home in van, ‘I want us to truly LIVE’’
“We don’t have NEARLY enough time on this planet to just waste our lives on what society says is the way to live.”
‘Would you be open to picking up a 2-day-old baby girl?’ I’ll never forget my husband’s response. ‘I think this is the baby we’ve been praying for.’: Pregnant mom opens heart to fostering, adopts after ‘humbling’ 798 days
“If you asked me if I’d care for a newborn while 30 weeks pregnant, I’d have thought you were crazy. I’d sit at night, feeding our foster daughter while feeling our little girl wiggling around in my belly. We’d been praying for her years before she was even born.”
‘Some days are harder than others.’ I get eyes darting at me as I’m walking down the street. It isn’t easy.’: Man with facial differences becomes motivational speaker, ‘It was worth all the pain’
“My parents were told, ‘Only major reconstructive surgery will correct the anomalies.’ Because I spent most of my childhood in hospitals, I was playing catch up. My lack of confidence took its toll on me.”