“At age 13, I fell into a relationship with an older man. He carefully groomed me and became the father figure I was missing. He showered me in gifts and affection. But there was a price to pay. He would follow my school bus and watch me get off. He controlled my every move. Every week, I prayed I’d be the long-lost child reunited with her daddy.”
“I saw her in my dreams with big brown eyes. ‘I think she may be blind.’ Not only was she completely blind, but she also didn’t have eyes! To actually not have eyes seemed impossible. We went home thinking that blindness would be Evely’s only struggle. Boy, were we wrong.”
“On top of being adopted and feeling different, I WAS different. With my dark hair, green eyes, and short stature, I stood out. I remember looking at pictures, my family laughing about how all their noses matched. I couldn’t participate in the conversation. I felt like an outsider. My husband and I decided it was time. I sent it off.”
“The doctor said our daughter wouldn’t be able to feed or dress herself, she would be a ‘burden to society’ and would most likely ‘end up in an institution.’ I believed him. He pushed for termination and never once told us anything positive. We couldn’t be more proud of the little lady she is.”
“I was 6 when I wore my first bathing suit in a beauty competition. I was 8 when my dance instructor told my mom I was too chubby. I was 15 when I became addicted to diet pills. After seeing myself go through so much to bring my children into the world, I now know that worthiness is my birthright.”
“It was a quiet dinner; not many words were exchanged. We just sat together and acknowledged what was coming. He held my hand and made sure I drank and ate whatever I wanted. When we were done, I went home to feelings of intense physical pain. I didn’t want to go to the ER. I just had to wait.”
“When I first looked at her, I knew something was different. I asked my husband, ‘What did you think when you went to see her?’ He replied, ‘She’s just so perfect and beautiful.’ I couldn’t shake what was in the back of my mind.”
“We all have that inner voice that tells us when something is wrong. Something in your gut. Mine was saying this news wasn’t going to be good. The gynecologist came in, sat next to me on the bed, and said, ‘I’m sorry kiddo.'”
“‘I don’t look the same as when you last saw me. I’m not doing too well,’ I said. My face was a mess. I had cuts and blood in my nostrils. In that coffee shop, I sat across from him crying. I was scared of telling anyone.”
“It seemed like a match made in heaven. ‘We’re still kids,’ we can remember her saying. And then we got THE CALL.”
