‘At 6 days old, Lawson had his first open-heart surgery. My baby had been through SO much. I was ready to give him the gift of time and life. He’s perfect.”
‘He’ll be bulletproof!’ I handed him to the nurse and we locked eyes. Chaos ensued.’: Baby born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, ‘I love to be reminded of how he lived’
After My Breaking Point, I Decided It Was Time To Forge My Own Path
“I quit my job. I avoided a possible catastrophic marriage. Everything I’d kept bottled up was starting to surface. I didn’t have much courage under my belt, but I was still brave.”
‘I received a note stating, ‘A rose for every year.’ On my right wrist says, ‘Love Dad.’: Daughter gets tattoo in honor of late father, ‘It’s a little reminder he’s always in my heart’
“His breathing declined fast. We got a call saying, ‘Come right over, it’s not good.’ It was my daughter’s birthday. I kept all the cards he used to write me.”
‘She didn’t even say hello. ‘I hate to be the one to tell you this.’ I was too shocked to cry. What if he gets tired of my ‘sick’ body?’: Newlywed diagnosed with stage three breast cancer, beats it twice, ‘We find ways to celebrate’
“How was I supposed to tell him he married a sick woman instead of a healthy one? I looked at him and he knew. He just knew. I didn’t say a word. I didn’t have to.”
‘She looks at her like she holds all of the secrets to the world. She had a 10% chance of making it. I begged God for time together.’: Woman births baby with Trisomy 18, ‘I never believed in soulmates until then’
“We made a bear with her voice saying, ‘I love you, Charlotte.’ She was scared Charlotte would forget the sound of her voice. I will never forget the look on her face when my friend dropped her off.”
‘You drive me to drink. I wish I never had you!’ It was a nightmare. We suffered in silence.’: Abuse and bullying survivor urges, ‘Be kind to one another’
“My own mother said, ‘You’re a mistake’ to me and my sisters. I started self-harming and fell into a deep depression. I actually believed what I’d been told.”
‘Go have a good weekend because it’s not good news.’ Deep down, I was freaking out. I was so new to cancer.’: Woman beats breast cancer, welcomes 2 miracle babies, ‘I am a survivor’
“We were in the middle of wedding planning, living a fairy tale life. That was when I found my lump. ’We have bad news.’ My life was crumbling beneath my feet.”
‘Frankly, I was about to pull a Jesus at the Marketplace and send tables flying. Parents, we have to LOWER OUR STANDARDS.’: Mom shares act of ‘grace’ while out with family, urges ‘pay it forward’
“‘Great idea, hon. Let him eat on the filthy restaurant floor!’ A woman at the table behind us turned around in her seat. She was definitely preparing to make some commentary, and my stomach dropped a little. But then she smiled.”
‘Why do they love her when I’m here?’ For 6 years, I wanted to hate her. But I loved them.’: Adoptive mom shares relationship with kids’ birth mom, ‘Love can accomplish great things’
“I knew she’d self-medicated for years. My first message to her was anonymous. ‘My name is Jane, and we love the same kiddos.’ She was defensive, expecting a trap.”
‘You look like you’ve got a cancer patient. Who is going to pick YOU?’: Mom adopts daughter with alopecia and baby boy, ‘I’m in awe of my family’
“They melted and said, ‘Look at the joy in her face. If they love her, we know they’ll love our baby.’ They saw a family with differences and still chose us.”