Love What Matters

‘I told myself, ‘If I’m strong enough to make it to the top of Africa’s tallest peak, I’m strong enough to take on another round.’: Woman gives IVF one ‘last shot,’ welcomes miracle baby

“It hit me: the hardest things in life are the most rewarding. After devoting 15 months of my life to a failed IVF cycle, I knew I was strong enough for another round.”

‘I woke up to a burning sensation on my feet. I ripped the blankets off to find them charred and melted.’: Woman battling unexplained seizures thanks art for saving her life

“In a second, it all changed. I ran to the bathroom screaming with my hands over my mouth. I jumped in the tub, turned the cold water on. It felt like acid. The pain was like nothing on this earth. Soon, my left foot started to rot. I was a true zombie. I had no clue who my family was, I didn’t even recognize myself in the mirror.”

Somehow I Am Always Pouring, Even Though My Cup Is Empty

“After a lot of protesting, ‘God, how can I do this?? How can I pour from an empty cup???’ it dawned on me. As a mom, that’s exactly what I am called to do.”

‘Off to the edge of the playground, I saw him. A dad walking closely behind his son, never allowing him to get more than a few feet away.’: Mom shares kind reminder for special needs dad

“I saw the son, his mannerisms – the way he walked on his toes, flapped his hands and stimmed. I knew instantly he had autism. He had mannerisms similar to my Gabe. I made my way over to him.”

‘He struggled to breathe. I’d accidentally fed him the wrong chicken fingers. I felt like I poisoned my child.’: Mom of sons with severe food allergies urges ‘be compassionate’

“I remember being so mad. ‘Why should everyone else have to cater to HIS needs? If HE has the problem, it’s not MY problem.’ Then I became a parent.”

‘The world may not be built for disabled people, but we’re aiming to change that.’: Woman shares journey as disabled business owner

“I don’t know any other disabled business owners. I hope making the world more accessible will afford others the opportunities I never had.”

‘I found Aaron chugging a beer like his life depended on it. I left the room sick to my stomach.’: Wife of recovering addict says ‘shame has NO place here’

“I walked in and there was Aaron, sitting quietly with a 6-pack. ‘He’s only had a couple,’ I told myself. I said a silent prayer.”

‘Instead of planning our wedding, my fiancé was called to the ICU at 4 a.m.’: Young woman loses father, fights Ehlers Danlos Syndrome

“I was found cowering, fetal position, in the space between the washer and dryer. My legs, once strong from years of softball, no longer supported my own weight.”

‘How will I know if the surgery fails?’ The doctor said, ‘Oh, you’ll know.’: Woman battles Intracranial Hypertension, ‘I’ve never been happier’

“’She’s just a kid, why does she have migraines?’ Family and friends didn’t empathize. I thought getting a diagnosis would clear up the ‘hypochondriac talk,’ but it made it worse.”

‘I am 1 of 7 children in my birth family. I was the ONLY child placed for adoption.’: Hispanic transracial adoptee finds birth family, ‘There’s always room for love’

‘Would you like to talk to our mom?’ I said, ‘Of course!’ We then saw each other and started to cry.”

‘You’re the perfect parents for my baby. You’re the ones.’ We were by her side through it all.’: Couple shares beautiful open adoption

“We knew it was going to be our greatest adventure yet, but we had no clue the highs and lows we were about to experience.”

‘The test results are in. I hate to tell you this.’: Mom births rainbow baby with sickle cell disease

“Our tiny baby had an IV in his foot. Watching a team of nurses poke your baby with a needle is such a helpless feeling.”

‘My femur snapped in the kitchen. It was the best day of my life.’: Woman raises awareness for ultra-rare bone disease

“I did catastrophic damage to my bones trying to live a normal life. It’s all I wanted, just to be normal. Soon, I lost the ability to walk.”

‘THEY don’t have the muscles to get the right latch.’ He is not a ‘they.’: Mom advocates for son with Down syndrome

“The doctor said, ‘He may go home on oxygen.’ Little did they know the stubbornness I had. The love of a mother determined to get her baby home.”

‘My husband delivered earth-shattering news. ‘You’ve been a mother for 4 days and didn’t even know.’: Couple adopts son from foster care

“Most women have at least 9 months to prepare for a child. I had less than an instant.”

‘It’ll be different this time.’ I’d BEG the doctors not to fill prescriptions. The doctor believed HIM.’: Wife of former addict shares beautiful ‘reverse love story’

“One pill would turn to 2, and 2 into 3, and on exceptionally bad days, 3 into 4. We knew this was the ‘worse,’ but we believed together we’d someday see the ‘better.’”

‘Why can’t you just LISTEN?’ His type is known as ‘brat.’: Mom of Autistic twins discusses ‘comparing,’ ‘Each boy is different, yet one and the same’

“I let a friend try to teach me how to discipline Jack. The entirety of it shook me to my core as I watched how it broke him at just 4 years old.”

‘She’s just a stressed millennial and needs to take Valium.’: Woman survives brain hemorrhage, becomes stand-up comedian

“I was 22 when my head exploded on a Tinder date.”

‘WHY, of all people, was the nicest made to suffer? I was angry at the world.’: Sister honors brother battling Glioblastoma, thanks community for acts of kindness

“The staff member told me, ‘If it’s Franco’s he wants, its’ Franco’s he’s having!’ I’ll never forget the kindness strangers have shown us.”

‘She gripped my hand. ‘Don’t worry. If they give you a hysterectomy, I’ll have your babies.’ We laughed.’: Woman shares ‘sacrificial love’ of surrogate twin sister after cancer battle

“My twin said, ‘If you needed a kidney, I’d give you a kidney. You just happen to need my uterus.’ This is more than a gift. It’s a dream come true!”

‘Do you ever put that baby down?’ The question was unwarranted and filled with judgement.’: Mom urges ‘just hold the baby, you won’t regret it’

“You’ll blink and they’ll be walking. You’ll turn around and they’ll start running away from you. And you’ll wish you would’ve held them more when they let you. You’ll wish you could rock them to sleep again and watch those little eyes flutter as they’re dreaming.”

‘I’d heard of ‘surprise’ and ‘accidental’ pregnancies. I thought it’d be easy for me.’: Woman births 5 kids through IVF

“No one told me I’d have days where I’d cry for no reason at all. I had no idea I’d have to give myself injections in my abdomen. But I knew I was meant to be a mother.”

‘How could she let her blood pressure get so high?’ The right side of my face went numb and started to droop.’: Stroke survivor details recovery journey, ‘I chose to fight’

“I felt my right leg falling asleep. A few seconds later, I couldn’t move my leg or arm. I yelled for my husband. ‘Allen!’ My speech was slurred. Something was wrong, but I didn’t know what.”