“We didn’t choose cancer. It chose us. Getting up was a choice.”
‘We are merely surviving as we fight it. We are going from one doctor’s appointment to a test to another treatment. Let’s be honest, cancer SUCKS.’: Woman’s has realization in cancer journey, ‘Cancer did not take from me. I took from it.’
‘He whispered, ‘You are not alone,’ and cradled this stranger in his arms as she took her last breath. Chad, too, was dying.’: Widow details police officer’s kindness during final weeks of life
“He was dying. He knew he was. The cancer was slowly eating at every part of his body, yet when he arrived on scene that day, it was not the first thing on his mind. He put it all aside to comfort a woman he did not know.”
‘The doctor said, ‘If she’s born, she will look scary and be a burden.’ My husband questioned my choice. I decided to walk this path alone.’: Woman births baby with Edward’s Syndrome, ‘Every moment is the greatest gift’
“‘Hello?’ I answered the phone, recognizing the phone number of my OB office. I can’t tell you how the rest of the conversation went because I was absolutely in shock. I heard the words ‘incompatible with life.’ I was encouraged to terminate the pregnancy and was told if born, she would look scary and would be a burden on our family.”
‘Each night I would go sit under the stars. One by one my kids would snuggle next to me to talk and I’d listen.’: Mom encourages us to ‘take a moment to leave work behind and sit under the stars’
“I remember knowing it was going so fast, yet I couldn’t imagine a day when my house wasn’t filled with littles and their every need. I now only wish I had it all on film to sit back and watch and wonder at. Younger me with younger them, frozen in time.”
‘A police officer pulled up. ‘Is everything okay?’ He wanted to talk. We stood outside for an hour, discussing the issues our nation is facing.’: Man urges ‘moments like this need to be shared’
“He didn’t pull out his gun. He didn’t mace or tase me. Instead, he took the time to ask me, a minority, about the issues we are facing and my thoughts on how we can fix them.”
‘They don’t look like they’re brothers. My boys have the same mom and dad. They are not the same.’: Mom urges us to take action against racism, ‘Show your kids there’s beauty in their differences’
“I live in white suburbia. There will come a day when I have to explain to my kids why they are being treated differently than their friends or even each other. When they grow up and ask me what I did to effect change, I hope they’ll be proud of my response.”
‘I tapped him on the shoulder. ‘Jay, wake up. Can you turn on the light? I have something to say.’ A single tear ran down his cheek.’: Young mom urges ‘this is the greatest job I’ve ever had’
“I chalked it up to eating spicy Cajun food. 5 a.m. the following morning, I jerked myself awake with the sudden urge to throw up. I immediately called my mom, sobbing. ‘What’s wrong?!’ Without hesitation, my sweet angel of a mother got in her car and drove 2 hours to see me. My boyfriend was sleeping so peacefully, not knowing what was about to hit him.”
‘You used to wear makeup. Now you’re wearing spit up. Laundry day is now laundry life. That first baby will have you questioning your sanity.’: Woman pens letter to new mommas, ‘You’re going to be just fine’
“You’re wandering around delirious, hoping someday you’ll sleep a full night again. You’re digging for pacifiers in the most unthinkable spaces. Sweet girl, the beginning is a doozy.”
‘I said to my husband, ‘I think something is wrong with the baby.’ There was fluid in the back of his neck. ‘We need to admit you. Today.’: Mom says ‘Down syndrome is the best thing to ever happen to our family’
“‘It could be something, it could be nothing.’ My blood pressure spiked dangerously high. The doctor said, ‘We need to admit you. Today.’ I was hooked to an IV in a massive, darkened birthing room in the middle of the night. When it came time for his arrival, there were 20 people in the room. All I remember saying was, ‘Oh, he’s so cute,’ and then he was gone.”
‘I saw panic in her eyes. ‘I can’t find your cervix.’ I thought it was just a UTI. ‘You’re not allowed to leave.’ I waited 4.5 hours while medical staff conversed about me.’: Couple pregnant with twins after 7 miscarriages, incarcerated uterus
“Within 24 hours, I was being prepped for emergency surgery. My uterus was growing up and outwards and had completely cut off my uretha and bladder. ‘This is life-threatening to you and your twins.’ We were told to brace ourselves for the loss of both babies. I woke up to a large incision from my breast to my pelvis.”