“I saw an ad about a deaf dog in a shelter and decided I MUST meet him! He captured my heart. I knew he was going home with me. I felt this special bond when I met him. I could feel the way he experienced the world.”
‘I want to be normal.’ People around me were always talking. I felt so lonely in my own world. I struggled to accept my deafness.’: Woman becomes hearing loss advocate, ‘I can do anything’
‘How did I get here?’ I kneeled over the toilet, heart racing. Suddenly, I heard God speaking, ‘Don’t do this, Rachel.’: Woman shares eating disorder recovery journey, ‘I had to break free’
“Could I escape from this prison of disordered eating, self-hatred, and destructive pursuit of weight loss? Would I ever find love? My knees ached as I shakily got up off the cold tile floor. I couldn’t keep living like this.”
‘She talks to him, even though she knows he can’t talk back.’: Mom shares ‘heart-melting’ friendship between non-verbal, autistic son and classmate
“She could bully him, pick on him because he is different. Instead, she doesn’t try to change him. She sits with him, holds his hand, and likes him just the way he is. This is not your typical love story.”
‘Sometimes people won’t change their minds.’ Why? We just want everyone to be equal.’: Woman activist urges ‘we CAN make a difference’
“This is what it looks like coming up on my sister’s 5-year anniversary of her passing in the middle of a pandemic and cultural warfare. You see friends, this isn’t fun for us. It isn’t fun pointing out privilege and systemic racism when you see it. People hate us when we do it.”
‘Is something wrong?’ my wife asked. ‘We need to talk.’ I told myself I’d stop thinking about being gay if I had a kid.’: Gay dad comes out of the closet, ‘I regret not doing it sooner’
“‘You’re gay, you’re gay.” My thoughts were constant. But I needed to start a family. I told myself I’d stop thinking about being gay if I had a kid.”
‘You’ll never be able to write or even wear a ring.’ I’d pull my sleeves over my hands. I wanted to be ‘normal.’: Limb difference advocate shares her journey, ‘Celebrate your differences’
“I was convinced I’d be judged based on my hands and feet. I made every effort to conceal my hands. I’d wear a cardigan to hide my scars. I wanted as little attention drawn to me as possible.”
‘Drop everything and get to the hospital.’ The doctors were baffled. They couldn’t believe I was still standing.’: Woman diagnosed with Addison’s disease, ‘I’m alive by chance’
“Walking up the stairs was nearly impossible. I was always on the sofa, wishing the day away. My life completely changed overnight. In less than 24 hours, I went from dying to being more alive than I ever have.”
‘He’s been born, and YOU were chosen!’ Only 4 pounds, I was scared to even TOUCH him.’: Couple adopt baby with Down syndrome after scare, ‘We were meant for this’
“We were told, ‘You’re crazy.’ In an instant, I knew we had to pursue him. I didn’t know joy and sorrow could coexist.”
‘You’re so deaf sometimes!’ My eyes started watering. I felt so alone and worthless. I decided to keep my deafness a secret.’: Woman advocates for deaf awareness, ‘I’m proud of myself’
“I was the quiet, deaf girl with no confidence. ‘Why is everyone looking at me?’ The closer we got to school, the tighter I grabbed my hair so my hearing aids wouldn’t be seen.”
‘Everything went black. ‘Did I pass out?’ I woke up with no memory. They had no idea what was happening to me.’: Woman describes struggles with Lyme Disease, ‘Every day is a gift’
“The stairs became my ‘Mount Everest.’ I lost consciousness 18 times. I woke up in the ER with an IV in my hand. The doctors found nothing wrong with me. We were grasping at straws.”