“Writing finally began the journey of coming to terms with my identity issues and not letting it consume me.”
‘Do I belong here? Am I wanted?’ Like many adoptees, I fell prey to identity issues.’: Writer shares how being a transracial adoptee influences her life and art
Grieving Girlfriend Raises Over $15k For Brain Cancer Research With DIY Jewelry After Losing Partner To Tumor
“When I was 19 years old, I met my first love Jake. And at 24 years old, I stood by his hospital bed as he tragically passed away from brain cancer.”
‘Even in your darkest times, there is always a light.’: Domestic abuse survivor marries bodyguard hired to protect her
“I went from being a 22-year-old, newly single mom leaving a very violent situation to a newlywed in the matter of weeks. No one thought our marriage would last a week, let alone 13 years. Derek is a person I thought only existed in dreams.”
‘I thought stepping away from that train was the hardest thing I ever had to do. Burying my husband was.’: Mom details family healing journey after losing husband to alcoholism
“Some days I’m not really sure if I killed my husband or not. I certainly have been accused of it by a handful of people. Family members and close friends have said painful things like, ‘You left him when he needed you most,’ or, ‘He gave up the moment you kicked him out.'”
‘I stole, was suspended from school, lied to people to make my life more interesting, and stopped caring.’: Woman with late autism diagnosis addresses ableism
“Ableism is like everyone grew wings except you. They became so used to having wings they stopped building stairs and elevators. No one believes you can’t fly, so they refuse to accommodate — asking if you deserve it and complaining it’s too expensive.”
‘My mom was told I’d never have a normal life. I was never going to have kids and would be deaf by 16.’: Woman with Osteogenesis Imperfecta defies odds to have miracle baby boy
“I still could barely move. ‘What on earth was she thinking having a baby?’ None of it mattered to me. I was too busy in love with my little miracle.”
‘She has her differences, but she is still our little girl.’: Mom shares daughter’s rare Nager Syndrome diagnosis journey
“How could this be happening when everything had been so normal for the last 34 weeks? Concerned. That word still haunts me. We were almost done with the pregnancy, and to just find out something was abnormal was tough to process.”
‘After going through that miscarriage, I resolved to never ‘try’ or even pray to have another baby ever again.’: Miscarriage survivor welcomes rainbow twins, one with Down Syndrome
“’What if no one accepts our babies?’ Mark looked me right in the eye and said, ‘WE will accept our babies! We will love them just like we would any other baby, and Lyndi will love them both just as much. This is our little family. They will be perfect!’”
‘Life was fun until my mother passed away. Suddenly, at 11, I had to care for my 4 younger siblings.’: Abuse survivor shares foster care experience, POTS diagnosis
“I received my 11th concussion playing volleyball. Previously, I had 10 concussions from child abuse. My comorbidities and symptoms increased to the point I had to take mandatory bed rest.”
‘He wrote, ‘You are the most loved stepmom in the entire universe,’ something I never thought I could be.’: Child of divorce 3 times over details healing in becoming a stepmom
“My time in this role of ‘stepmom’ has healed my heart in ways therapy never could.”
‘My son would have grown up knowing I died from a disease I’d passed on to him.’: Woman with rare disease shares heartbreaking decision to abort
“I wanted my baby so badly. I wanted his ten little toes. I wanted to see those blue eyes and the thick black hair he had to have. But then I thought of him watching me waste away as I watched my own father waste away, knowing I had chosen the same fate for him.”
‘I had a 1 in 10 chance of making it. I started planning my funeral and heartfelt goodbyes.’: Woman bikes 3,428 miles for awareness after surviving womb cancer
“I want to show everyone newly diagnosed, there is life after cancer. It is possible to survive, regardless of a poor prognosis. Hold on to hope, believe in miracles, and look for things in life that make you happy.”
It’s Time To Stop Treating People With Disabilities Like Mythical Creatures
“Society has decided what I can and can’t do. Society has decided I am a fragile creature incapable of looking out for myself. We are yearning to be heard and understood. Instead of looking to us for inspiration, why not find ways to empower us?”
‘I see twins. IDENTICAL twins.’ I let all the air out of my lungs and quietly said, ‘WHAT?’: First-time mom navigates surprise pregnancy, medically complex child
“My husband comes home. I vaguely remember saying I had interesting news. He says to me, ‘What news?’ I go, ‘I’M PREGNANT.’ Husband looks at me, hugs me, and says, ‘OK! We are having a kid!’ I then say, ‘BUT it’s identical twins.’ Husband says, ‘Oh sh*t.'”
‘Stop allowing people’s opinions steer the direction in your life.’: Young woman’s inspiring journey to living life unapologetically
“When you end your 7-year relationship, call off your wedding a month before the date, drop 80 pounds, pack your entire life into 2 suitcases, and start traveling the world solo. Sometimes, getting unstuck involves being uncomfortable and embracing uncertainty.”
‘Mommy, will the new baby be autistic?’ asked my 7-year-old. ‘We’re so lucky to have Koimburi!’: Special needs mom moved to tears after daughter’s sweet moment of inclusivity
“I’d racked my brain for all the reasons she was asking. Was she hoping for a different kind of connection than with her autistic brother? A different kind of play experience with her new sibling? Tears welled in my eyes, moved by her matter-of-fact, whole-hearted acceptance.”
‘He’d call me on my way to work, threatening to change the locks and smash my car.’: Woman details overcoming domestic, financial abuse
“Throughout the whole relationship, I didn’t realize I was experiencing domestic abuse. I was blamed and told it was my fault. Now I know it wasn’t.”
I Found A Baby Abandoned In The Trash, And Unexpectedly Became A Single Adoptive Dad
“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. My eyes prickled with tears hearing the suffering in his voice as he cried. The very next day at the hospital, I was asked, ‘Would you like to be his legal guardian?'”
‘My pediatrician made me go to weight-controlling therapy for 2 weeks because she thought I was fat.’: Woman shares eating disorder journey, recovery with boyfriend’s help
“I was a walking skeleton. I was ashamed to show him my body. He took me to the gym, but only under one condition — I would eat.”
‘A world so safe, you don’t even run when you hear a gunshot.’: American teacher shares harrowing reaction to assassination of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
“In America, I teach my students how to hide under desks. This past 4th of July my first thought was, ‘Let’s choose a spot away from the majority of the crowd, just in case somebody starts shooting.’ Luckily, nobody shot at us. Chicago was not so lucky.”
‘My hair was falling out, my skin was peeling, goosebumps adorned my body, and my anxiety turned to depression.’: Anorexia survivor shares eating disorder recovery
“I thought I could fly away from my eating disorder. Maybe, just maybe, I would step off the plane and the anorexia would run. But instead, the very opposite happened. I came as close as I ever had been to my eating disorder, face-to-face, and I felt my world crumble.”
‘I can live the life I want because I have Violet by my side, living it with me.’: POTS warrior shares how service dog helped her find her worth
“I lost the ability to walk; I couldn’t stand more than 10 minutes without passing out. I couldn’t eat without severe pain, and my brain felt like it was constantly trying to come out of my eyes. My body found new levels of fatigue, leaving me bedridden most days. The day I brought Violet home, I had no idea the potential contained in this little ball of energy.”
Meet Andrea Rappaport: The Woman Dedicating Her Life To Supporting Divorcées In Wake Of Her Own Isolating Separation
“I got divorced via Zoom from the floor of my sons’ closet. After my divorced my finalized, I wiped my tears, exited the closest, and went right back to helping my kindergartener with his virtual math class. I give that experience 0 stars.”
‘I’ve had doctors Google in front of me and advise me while they read Wikipedia. It’s soul destroying.’: Woman shares rare disease diagnosis, advocates for increased awareness
“I take 46 tablets a day and I’m on a continuous infusion of a parathyroid hormone. This is my current reality. I hope it’s not my forever reality, but the truth is no one knows.”
‘At 18, my mom asked, ‘Would you like to have a letter your birth mom wrote when you were born?’: Adoptee shares beautiful relationship with birth mother, 4 bio siblings
“Before that day, I had not been told my birth mom’s name. After reading her letter, I looked her up online and followed her on Instagram. She instantly messaged me. Growing up, I often wondered what my birth mom would be like, but I never imagined she would be such a beautiful person inside and out.”