“She had been placed in another home but it wasn’t a good fit. 4 days later, she was in my arms and it was an instant connection. I was so in love with this baby girl. Months later, we got some surprising news.”
‘Her birth mom is pregnant again.’ This news brought me to my knees. Could I handle two babies, only 11 months apart?’: Single foster mom adopts sisters, ‘It’s been beautiful and redemptive’
‘What’s wrong with you? Why are you walking like that?’ I didn’t want to be in a wheelchair. I stood out too much.’: Woman shares journey as wheelchair model, ‘This beautiful body is mine’
“When I was a teenager, I completely lost my walking ability. It took time for people to realize what was inside me. The wheelchair always stole my role. It was like I was in a dress that didn’t belong to me.”
‘I donated 112 GALLONS. It’s a high I’ve never felt before.’: Mom donates breast milk to micro preemies, ‘Every box I ship brings me joy’
“I was able to help feed that little girl until she turned a year old and it was such an amazing feeling knowing that something my body created was able to nourish and help grow another human being other than my own!”
‘This is CRAZY, but the judge just signed the order to move your son’s sister to your home TODAY. I’ll be there tonight.’: Woman adopts 3 siblings, ‘We became a family of 5 overnight’
“I asked John how he felt about adopting. ‘I just want to be a father, no matter how children come to me.’ We became a family of 5 overnight.”
‘Wouldn’t it be SO cool for her to be born at 11:11 a.m.?’ I kept praying, ‘God let it be.’ I HAD to have hope again.’: Couple adopts biological sisters after infertility, ‘Miracles do happen’
“I am not going to say it became rainbows and butterflies, because it didn’t. There was still this deep, deep ache and question of ‘why,’ and a yearning to become a mama.”
Marriage Is Not About Giving 50/50
“I had always thought of relationships as 50/50 propositions. You each give. And you each take. You try to make it as equal as possible. Right? WRONG.”
‘She must be dramatic. She isn’t actually sick.’ I must convince doctors I’m not an addict looking for pain meds. I beg to be taken seriously.’: Woman battling Celiac Disease explains ‘this isn’t just a food allergy’
“I was an all-star cheerleader. From the outside, I seemed perfectly healthy. After that first week in the hospital, I was discharged and told this was a ‘fluke thing’ and I needed to go on a ‘low-fat diet.’ Soon, the hair loss, stomach pains, bruises, and infections started. I was 90 pounds and miserable.”
‘A mother has chosen you.’ It didn’t feel real. As painful as it was, I’d do it all over again.’: Couple adopts after ‘gut-wrenching’ disrupted adoption, ‘Everything led us to this moment’
“We finally felt like becoming parents was in our foreseeable future. For 3 days, we lived in her NICU room and slept on the tiny couch together. But her birth mother chose to keep her. Our hearts SHATTERED.”
I Grew Up With Crippling Anxiety, And I Didn’t Know It
“I never made it to my second day of high school. My fear of leaving the house quickly grew within me. I always thought the world revolved around drinking, but then I realized, I made my world revolve around it.”
‘It’s just growing pains, don’t worry about it!’ I couldn’t even walk. I was terrified. I HAD to speak up for myself.’: Young chronic illness warrior details road to diagnosis, ‘I took on this journey with a smile’
“My cardiologist told me, ‘It’s all in your head.’ She was mad I couldn’t even stand for an assessment. I tried to push through. How could she say what I was going through wasn’t real?”
‘I kept wondering, ‘Why hasn’t it happened yet?’ Our story is painful, but I know I’m not alone.’: Waiting mom ‘crafts hope’ for others struggling with infertility, ‘I’m waiting for my rainbow’
“Each month, my period showed up right on schedule. After ‘only’ 6 months, I was so sad. My stomach was bulging to one side. I could tell something was wrong. ‘It’s likely kidney cancer.’ Our world was totally rocked.”
‘My life was out of control. I drank as much as possible to escape. ‘Why is this happening to me?’ I only had half of my hair left, but I couldn’t give up.’: Woman with alopecia takes back her life, ‘I made myself a priority’
“I covered all of the mirrors in my apartment and closed all of the blinds. I didn’t want to see my family or friends. I didn’t want anyone to be near me. I was so ashamed and disgusted with myself. My hair was my security blanket, but it was almost gone.”
‘Worst case, you’ll end up in respiratory failure.’ I was admitted to the hospital. Little did I know, 17 months later, I’d still be there.’: Woman diagnosed with rare autoimmune disorder, ‘I’m lucky to be alive’
“It was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever been through in my life. I could barely breathe. ’I think you have myasthenia gravis.’ It’s like being trapped in your body. No one knew if I would make it.”
‘I heard my phone ding and felt my breath catch. ‘A little boy was born last night. He’s in critical condition.’ Without a second thought, we said, ‘YES!’: Couple shares beautiful open adoption
“I was sure we would have heard by now. Not a minute after I let myself lose hope, my phone rang. A little boy had been born the night before. His birth had been traumatic. ‘Is there any reason we’d say no?’ We were sure he was meant to be our little boy.”
‘My daughter looks like she’s seen multiple ghosts. ‘It’s OK Toodleboot. Ignore your parents on the ceiling and that it sounds like the world is on fire. Just GO BACK TO SLEEP.’: Mom’s hilarious struggle with fire alarm
“All is well. All is quiet-ish. And I’m back in my bed, when from the far side of the house I hear… beep.”
‘Will Nash be a baby forever?’ There are days where it hits me like a ton of bricks. More than the pain, I feel joy.’: Mom shares son’s journey with rare ADNP syndrome, ‘I can’t imagine a world without him’
“We waited for the phone call that would change our lives forever. The first words out of my mouth were, ‘Is it fatal?’ A giant wave of relief washed over my whole body. I thought this was the end of our worries, but it wasn’t.”
‘You’re just a worried mom. I’m sure he’s fine!’ She placed the probe on my belly and gasped. ‘How did you know?’: New mom shares ‘powerful’ intuition about son’s cleft lip, ‘I’ll continue to stand up and say something’
“I’d never met anyone with a cleft. I’m not sure if I’d seen one in person either. I had no knowledge of them, but I absolutely knew my son had one. The tech gave me a big hug. ‘You have a powerful gift.’ I knew I was ready to tackle anything.”
‘What if someone calls you FAT again?’ That word held so much pain. I associated my worth with what my body looked like.’: Woman shares journey healing from eating disorder, ‘It’s worth the messiness’
“At 13, I started dieting and exercising compulsively. It became an obsession. I hung up pictures of bodies I wanted mine to look like in front of our treadmill. It can be gruesome to think of food, something you need to survive, as an enemy.”
‘She stood at the microphone and whispered, ‘Thanks, Dad.’ I wasn’t the only one crying. SHE was teaching ME.’: Daughter with Down syndrome exceeds expectations, ‘She inspired each of us’
“She pulled her fist back toward her waist whispering, ‘YES, I did it!’”
‘In my day, they didn’t have all this autism and ADHD stuff.’ I wasn’t sure how they’d react to the news. It wasn’t something they grew up with.’: Mom to daughter with autism worries about ‘generational gap’ with grandparents, ‘You’re never too old to be educated’
“I braced myself for what I thought would be a skeptical, potentially offensive reaction from them. They were shocked and concerned, as I expected.”
‘My daughter went to the toilet today. On her own. She’s 4. They WILL get there in their OWN time.’: Mom to daughter with autism urges ‘you’re doing GREAT’
“She woke up today and decided she was content to wear underwear and go to the toilet. It was that easy. Actually, it wasn’t easy; that’s why I’m telling you.”
‘We carry a heavy load. Our bags and purses are full. What’s even harder is going to bed and unloading our shoulders.’: Special needs mom says ‘there are plenty of beautiful extras we gladly carry’
“Every morning, I walk to our son’s room to pick up his 40-pound body and carry him downstairs. With each step, I can feel it. As I make my way down the stairs, I start carrying more than just him. I carry gratitude.”
‘Sell your body, since you dress like a prostitute.’ I found my belongings on the driveway. At 17 I was FINALLY seen as a blessing.’: Adult adoptee shares foster journey, ‘I was ALWAYS their daughter’
“‘Sorry I ruined your birthday,’ I said. ‘No, you’re one of the best gifts I could ever receive!’ Her words instilled confidence in me, but her actions spoke even louder.”
‘Doctors told me, ‘It will be a painful death.’ Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I made history.’: Man shares journey with Cystic Fibrosis, becomes youngest person with CF to complete marathon’
“My mom had me put headphones on so I didn’t have to hear the heart-crushing news. I chose not to make excuses, I put every last ounce of myself into fighting.”
‘She’ll catch up in her own time!’ My instincts told me more was at play. It’s my JOB to protect her.’: Mom becomes advocate for daughter with KAND, neurological disorder, ‘We’ll ALWAYS celebrate who she is’
“‘You’ll now be Colbie’s medical experts.’ I didn’t want to hear it. I wanted to hear ‘this is how we can make it all go away.’ I chose to focus on how amazing she is.”