“All of them have different personalities, perspectives, opinions, feelings. Most of the time, things get quite messy and chaotic.”
‘I have over 1,000 people living in my body, all with different personalities.’: Person with Dissociative Identity Disorder seeks to educate others
‘Newborn girl, two days old. You’ve been chosen!’ We prepared for another heartbreak. Would this end the way it had before?’: Couple adopts after scam and disruption, ‘She was worth every part of our story’
“She placed her baby in Eric’s arms. I’ll never forget watching him fall in love with that tiny, 5-pound newborn. 4 hours later, we were asked to go home. After years of waiting, we were offered a gift.”
‘I woke up one day with a burning sensation in my arm. ‘You brought this on yourself with stress.’ I wasn’t convinced.’: Woman with Multiple Sclerosis urges ‘keep pushing for answers’
“It was clear people expected me to look different. ‘You’re too young to be diagnosed.’ I was handed a folder with my brain scans for ‘peace of mind.’”
‘DON’T let it hurt him like it did your brother.’ I can still smell the hospital and hear him cry. My son would be SUCCESSFUL.’: Sister of brother with autism becomes single mom to special needs son
“I had a front-row seat to how the world treated my brother. I knew how cruel the system could be. He was constantly told he could not achieve his goals and desires, but he told the world, ‘Just watch me.’”
‘Do you want to meet my daughter?’ That night, he showed up with flowers in one hand and diapers in the other.’: Stepdad adopts wife’s daughter, ‘I’ll love her as my own for the rest of my life’
“We realized Mia was losing weight every time she’d visit her biological dad. She’d come back in a dirty diaper, unbathed, and in smelly clothes. Then we got a call we never saw coming.”
‘He’s out of control. You didn’t discipline him and now it’s too late.’ I bought into what everyone else was saying.’: Mom urges ‘special needs behavior cannot be fixed with traditional discipline’
“Each time I tried disciplining my child the way society screamed at me that I should, my child broke down.”
‘If he leaves one day, will he remember me?’ I’m not a babysitter or a caregiver. I’m a MOTHER.’: Foster mom reflects on journey, ‘I wouldn’t trade it for anything’
“It was Mother’s Day, and I thought, ‘Do I DESERVE to be celebrated today? Do I count as a mother?’ There is an uncertainty and lack of self-validation that you are, in fact, a mother.”
‘I got a message: ‘Thanks for the work you do.’ I didn’t think much of it, but two lives were forever changed.’: Woman starts company to help other divorcees, ‘You’re never too old for love’
“I received THOUSANDS of emails from divorcees who wanted to share their story or ask for help. I decided to stop dating and use all my time and energy for helping others. In doing so, I received the call that changed my life.”
‘You’re a LIAR. Suck it up!’ I was in the fetal position on the floor, SCREAMING.’: Chronic illness warrior talks health, support system, ‘Keep fighting and listen to your body’
“They saw me lying on the floor and rolled their eyes. They never asked if I was okay. I spent most of my time at work in the bathroom screaming and crying, not knowing what was going on.”
‘Crying was NOT associated with boys. ‘It looks like you’re depressed.’ I had to be ‘man’ of the house.’: Man advocates for mental health, ‘I finally felt SEEN’
“Mom would rush my brother to the doctor. He was visibly ‘sick.’ I couldn’t convince her to bring me to the hospital for just being ‘sad.’ I failed to consider my brain was JUST as real as my brother’s heart.”
