“Not once has any individual in Japan told me, ‘This is Japan. We speak Japanese here. Go back to where you came from.’ Not one time. I love my country dearly, hear that. But in so many ways, I KNOW we can do better.”
‘Masks were worn here before the pandemic. It’s not political. It’s a matter of, ‘Maybe it’s just allergies, but I don’t know for sure.’: Woman urges ‘community is a beautiful thing’
‘Have you noticed he can’t use the right side of his body?’ The hits kept coming. I was powerless to stop it.’: Woman advocates for son with Refractory Epilepsy, ‘I’m thankful for every milestone’
‘But he doesn’t have it yet,’ they said. YET, YET, YET. The words pierced my soul. Why aren’t you telling me he’s going to be fine? Now, it’s okay to freak out.”
‘I feel like my dad left me.’ She lost him to suicide. Molly and Sarah live 3 hours away. ‘Do you want to do a Bible study?’: Middle school kids come together to pray during quarantine
“Two middle-school kids from totally different cultures are bringing joy to others.”
‘After the birth of my second child, I found myself at 206 lbs. It’s embarrassing to admit. I look rough, aged, even ugly.’: Mom offers encouragement to others struggling with body image, ‘You’ve never looked better’
“I used to see pictures of myself and think I looked FAB. Until I wasn’t. Until I got married, had one baby, and then two. I’m not picture-perfect.”
‘Will this be your first baby?’ the cashier asks me and smiles. I’m unsure how to respond. I gather my bags and turn to leave.’: Mom struggles to share hard truth about pregnancy journey, ‘Everyone has a past and a story’
“I don’t open up easily, and I definitely don’t spill my guts to a stranger in the checkout. The truth is, this is not our first baby.”
I Became A Teen Mom And A Widow At 18
“She dialed my mom’s number on speaker. ‘Hi, Diane. This is the nurse at your daughter’s school. Katherine has something to tell you.’ Seriously lady? I got on the phone, played dumb. ‘Oh my gosh, Katherine! What is going on?’ My parents had NO idea I was sexually active. Little did I know, there were bigger problems to worry about. ‘If he was wearing his seatbelt, he would have survived.’ A funeral was planned without me or my daughter in attendance.”
‘A boy asked about my scooter. ‘That’s what rich people ride when they’re lazy.’ I was mortified.’: Woman with Multiple Sclerosis overcomes negativity, ‘All I can do is keep looking forward’
“My teeth crumbled out of my mouth because of my weakened immune system and stress. I cried day and night. People told me yoga, exercise, Paleo diets, or meditation would magically cure me. Thanks Karen, but I don’t think your snake oil is going to cure this bad boy!”
‘Can you be our designated driver?’ 5 minutes after I dropped off my mom, a drunk driver crossed the yellow line at 117 mph.’: Car crash survivor urges ‘get a ride’ after losing aunt to drunk driver
“I remember the silence, then sirens. People running from their houses, lights shining, and the rush of an emergency situation. People asked me, ‘Who are you? Where were you going? Have you been drinking?’ I had no idea what happened or how I got there.”
‘It was a few sneezes, some coughing, and itchy eyes. Then, it was a red ear. And suddenly, he was going to pass out.’: Mom shares seriousness of food allergies
“I did everything wrong. Instead of calling 9-1-1, I drove my son to the hospital. I was one of those parents who was annoyed my son wasn’t allowed to bring peanut butter to school. I was uneducated and ignorant.”
‘My cheek was swollen. The doctor said, ‘I’ve never seen anything like this before. Your life expectancy is 6 years old.’: Woman gets Facial Infiltrating Lipomatosis diagnosis after 22-year battle
“We were told, ‘The swelling must be from the position she slept in. It’s nothing. It will go away soon.’ Weeks went by, but nothing changed. When puberty hit, my face was growing faster than I was. I had unexplainable headaches and nosebleeds. I was sleeping all day long. Everywhere I went, I got stares, whispers, and pointing fingers.”
‘The new dad wanted to be part of our baby girl’s life. ‘What? No.’ It had been 8 months. I went into full panic mode.’: Mom details adoption of their 2 children from foster care
“She was on oxygen, and had been since arrival. ‘By the way, I told you the wrong dad. The real dad is ____.’ I went into full panic mode.”
‘His eyes wouldn’t leave the screen. ‘I’m so sorry.’ I barely heard him. My body betrayed me.’: Woman discusses pregnancy fears after loss, ‘This baby is not a replacement’
“Over and over I said, ‘Please have a heartbeat.’ Sometimes I close the nursery door so I don’t get too attached. Just in case.”
‘You aren’t leaving without delivering.’ I sat in disbelief. After 7 days of life, they cut into his side.’: Woman gives birth to baby with CHD, ‘We are blown away by his strength’
“I was recovering from birth while walking from the parking garage to my baby multiple times a day, changing my pad in a hospital bathroom, setting alarms to pump. I mustered up the strength to sit at a hospital, postpartum, while my 1-week-old baby had his chest cut open.”
‘My son calls out, ‘Are you Uncle Carterrrr?’ and kisses pictures. It hurts to know your struggles were so heavy.’: Woman mourns loss of baby brother, ‘You are still so loved’
“He would wash his hands up to his armpits, position himself on the couch with a blanket, and eagerly wait for his turn to hold and stare at his nephew. He would do anything for you.”
‘I was threatened with a letter to be kicked out because my grades were crap. I didn’t even believe I deserved to be there.’: Childhood trauma survivor’s message for others struggling, ‘You are already a somebody’
“I dropped out. ‘You won’t get very far,’ they told me. I believed it. I was determined to do was prove people wrong. You don’t need ANYBODY to make you a SOMEBODY.”
‘My sister called. ‘Rachel is thirsty. I think she has heat exhaustion.’ She stopped breathing. I was on the phone as they started CPR.’: Mom loses daughter to undiagnosed Type 1 Diabetes
“She was moodier than usual, but she was turning 12. ‘Hormones, right?’ She started complaining about leg cramps and throwing up after running. When the coroner’s office called, we were told, ‘You missed the symptoms.’ Rachel was gone, and she was not coming back.”
‘You didn’t hear the words ‘it’s a boy.’ You didn’t claim your title like most. But you’re tied to that child by something much stronger than blood.’: Mom says ‘you’re more than a step or bonus dad’
“I was wary of you at first. I was sure we’d scare you off. And part of me wanted to—single parenthood had made my list of requirements pretty tough. But you won me over with ‘bring him too.’ You never ever had to be, and that’s what makes me extra thankful you’re ours.”
‘We should have a bio child first.’ The fetus grew into a tumor. We were discouraged from fostering.’: Woman with Gestational Trophoblastic Disease fosters son, ‘You can change the world’
“Only one mother showed up at ‘Family Day.’ It broke my heart. Our friends and family discouraged us from moving forward. All I could think about was how Alex didn’t have a choice.”
‘I was coughing so much I fractured my rib. ‘I will fight for myself and my baby.’ I gave my life to bringing a baby into the world.’: Woman with Osteogenesis Imperfecta gives birth to healthy baby, ‘Never give up on your dreams’
“The doctor wouldn’t test my hormones. I was livid. ‘If you don’t give me an exact reason, I’m going to disregard your opinion.’ I know people were scared, but so was I.”
‘I saw fear in my son’s eyes. My voice was imprisoned in my body. I couldn’t do it on my own.’: Woman and son diagnosed with selective mutism, ‘Help is out there’
“‘Say something before it’s too late!’ I couldn’t speak up. I could not say the words my mind was telling me to say. I was trapped, and I couldn’t escape. It was because I had this immense fear holding me back.”
‘The doctor came in, and instantly, the room felt off. ‘I’m surprised your baby made it this far.’ I felt like I blacked out.’: After multiple miscarriages, mom gives birth to baby with Trisomy 13, ‘To us, he was perfect’
“We saw a heartbeat. This was actually happening. But I couldn’t shake the fear. I kept saying to people, ‘IF we bring this baby home.’ That’s when the words came: ‘There are multiple things wrong with your baby.’ We got to the parking lot, and I just screamed.”
‘I was already a month along. My boyfriend had passed away a week before. I was completely in shock.’: Mom grieves during pregnancy with late boyfriend’s daughter, ‘He is still around in spirit’
“We were two young college kids who had moved for a fresh start. All we had was each other to lean on. I was with the man of my dreams, going to a school I loved, and working a job that made me happy every day. It felt like my whole world ended. How would I be a single, first-time mom?”
‘My son was taken away from me and placed with his grandparents while his father sat in jail. I would come face to face with the devil himself’: Mom recounts struggles with alcoholism, ‘It’s not an easy road’
“I began partying with a different crowd, mixing Xanax and vodka to help me cope. It was during this time I met the father. I was introduced to the reality of just how mean people can be.”
‘Something is not right!’ One eye was smaller than the other, but doctors kept telling me he was okay. I knew I was going to have to fight.’: Woman gives birth to son with rare genetic disorder, ‘I have found my purpose’
“I lost over 30 pounds. I also lost my hair. I threw up constantly, even throwing up blood. Something inside me told me to keep fighting. When my son came out, he wasn’t crying. I knew that moment something was wrong with him. Nobody was listening to me.”