“‘I know my odds aren’t great to find a family.’ The children were simply numbers. But he held out hope. We both did.”

“‘I know my odds aren’t great to find a family.’ The children were simply numbers. But he held out hope. We both did.”
“I worried about how I’d pass down my family and cultural traditions. How could I make sure they saw themselves in the Christmas festivities? The next thing I knew, I had my first piece of the puzzle – a beautiful black angel.”
“We dropped my husband off at the doctor and BAM! Our ability to have more children was gone. I remember thinking, ‘It’s crazy such a massive, life-altering decision can carry out in only minutes.’ I mourned the loss of the kiddos we didn’t have but I had moved on… Or so I thought!”
“Noah was unstable and constantly suffering through seizures. We didn’t realize until a few days later his kidneys had failed. They were shocked he made it.”
“I felt so overwhelmed, like I was going to mess something up, and I hadn’t even started yet. There’s a weight of carrying someone else’s child that’s much heavier than your own.”
“My bump was finally starting to pop! I was on cloud nine. I had so many plans… and then the world was tipped upside down. I wanted to run and hide my baby from this horrible virus.”
“As the years went on, the anxiety would come and go in waves. I’d have nights where I would lay in bed and not be able to sleep because of all the anxious thoughts racing through my head. I knew my fears were irrational, but I still let them control me.”
“My brother and sister had over 10 cavities, poor hygiene, and had been physically and mentally abused. I tucked them into bed. ‘You’re finally safe with me,’ I cried. I went from being responsible for one puppy to being the sole provider of my long-lost, 13-year-old twin siblings by night.”
“I began to lose the red hair that had always defined me. After a period of grieving, I told myself, ‘I can either give in or fight like hell to defeat this disease.’ Right then, I stopped feeling sorry for myself.”
“I spent Christmas after Christmas in fear. In fear of gaining weight. In fear of everything Christmas represents. ‘Do I want to spend the rest of my life reducing myself?’ Anorexia had wrapped its way around my brain.”