“Yes, I had always been one of the bigger boys, but I was never ‘fat.’ I was a football player. A wrestler. A soccer player. I was big, but athletic.”
‘I was staring at the scale in disbelief. The needle stopped at 320 pounds. I knew I wasn’t skinny by any means, but was I really 320 pounds?!’
‘I had never been aware of the world of anti-depressants. How can you be THAT sad? I didn’t get it. Then my 2-year-old was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lymphoma.’
“It was then that I understood depression. I was completely overwhelmed. I was getting frustrated with my daughter who couldn’t help or control anything she was doing or what was happening to her. I felt crazy.”
‘We knew she was HIV+ which wasn’t a big deal. We wanted to adopt a child with this ‘special need.’ She was so beautiful.’
“She was 2 years old and only weighed about 15 pounds. She could hardly stand on her own, let alone walk.”
‘They couldn’t seem to find a cause for her fatal sickness. No one could explain how this happened to our family – again.’
“We found out this was a spontaneous condition. Just 4 months in, our world came crashing down all over again.”
‘When the manager heard about the people at the shelter, he didn’t give me a discount. He armed me with a shopping cart and told us to fill it – on him.’ Walmart employee’s incredible act of kindness for Hurricane Florence victims
“I had $50 that I could spend.”
‘It’s the size of my thigh. I’m out of breath. I’ve ripped it!’ Mom’s HYSTERICAL attempt trying on too-tiny SPANX
“Oh that’s not funny. That’s freaking stuck. Oh my gosh, WHY WOULD I DO THIS?”
‘For every woman unhappy with her postpartum marks, there is one wishing she had them.’ I once was her, the ‘one.’
“Some mama’s go home with only scars and no baby in their arms. For the ‘one’ wishing, hoping, praying for her miracle, this is for you.”
‘Would one make it? Would any make it? Or would all make it? He gave us the news and I started crying.’
“I could not believe it. I was sobbing and couldn’t believe this was real life.”
‘The doctor said, ‘We’ve tried everything, but we couldn’t restart her heart.’ I had to make the choice. Continue or ‘let her go.’: Mom loses daughter to sepsis, honor daughter’s ‘light’ with kindness
“I said the hardest word I’ve ever had to say: okay. As they stopped compressions and the beeping slowed to a stop, I sang, ‘You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.’ I knew I had to do something. I refused to let her light stop shining.”
‘We received a call that a sibling set of 4 kids needed a foster home. Our initial reaction was ‘Four kids at one time!?’’
“That’s when the lady broke heart-wrenching news to my wife.”
‘Hey Dad, I haven’t been feeling too well. Could you take me to the doctor? I think I might have a sinus infection.’: Daughter teaches dad important lesson on the importance of ‘being brave’
“‘Sure baby, I’ll pick you up after school.’ My daughter’s sinus infection was anything but.”
‘I got pissed at 4-year-old’s birthday party. I bought a new outfit and even sprayed deodorant. I BECAME PRESENTABLE, and I was ready to make friends, ya know what I’m saying?’: Mom hilariously recalls awkward encounter at child’s party
“My son was invited to a fellow kindergartner’s birthday – our first invite living in a new area, where I know NO ONE. I was pretty nervous, okay?”
I Photographed This Newborn With Microcephaly A Day Before He Died, And The Experience Will Forever Stick With Me
“I do what I do because every life deserves to be captured. Your story matters, and it deserves to be remembered.”
‘September 17th is the day I had a clear plan to end my life. I had at least 3 different ways I could commit suicide.’
“I was sure I was having a heart attack. They asked me if something had stressed me. I said, ‘no, I was preparing dinner.'”
Dear Men With Daughters: Love Your WIFE As You Want Your DAUGHTER To Be Loved
“Your daughter more than loves her mother; she is enthralled with her. Mothers and their daughters tend to live a parallel life. Your relationship with your wife is about SO much more than just you and her.”
‘I found this picture the other day. Life felt incredibly difficult and overwhelming at that time. I was still in my 20’s, trying to survive and make it through each day.’
“I used to care what others thought. But I know now, none of that matters at all.”
‘Want drugs?’ My bio dad, just released from prison, sat me on the toilet and injected meth into my arm.’: After surviving child abuse, living in 40 foster homes, man finds ‘home’ in his kids’ arms
“I was usually good at hiding my bruises, but one day I didn’t do a very good job. ‘How did this happen?!’ my teacher asked. I told her it was from carrying firewood. Minutes after I got home, there was a man in a tan suit at my door. CPS. The beginning of my journey across 40 foster homes. I feel so lucky to have beaten the odds. Not for me, but for my sons. I’d go through my childhood 1,000 times if it meant my sons didn’t have to.”
‘But I don’t have high blood pressure,’ I argued.’: Woman’s IVF journey with white coat syndrome to conceive twins
“I can’t let you leave with that blood pressure reading.’ Her statement was so unexpected. It was too early. I had too much to do before the boys were born.”
‘Little did I know this one wedding, and this one bride, would change my life forever.’: Photographer captures 19-year-old bride’s impromptu wedding after she was told ‘she wouldn’t make it through the night’
“They had to move her wedding day to that very day at 5:00 p.m. I usually can withstand any sort of stress on the job. But the emotional roller coaster of this 1-hour celebration of life has got to be by far the toughest wedding I’ve ever had the honor of documenting.”
‘I’m a plus-sized mom and I wore the swimsuit. No, I didn’t just wear that bad boy, I rocked that spandex leotard-like one piece like it was my J-O-B!’
“I was praying the length of the walk to the beach chairs something like, ‘Lord, help me to have peace about this body so I can confidently enjoy my time with my family and these precious kids you gave me.'”
As A Parent Who Lost Two Children, I Dread Questions About My Child’s Siblings
“The lady smiled as my daughter answered her question, then looked to me and said, ‘Wonderful! So the other kids must be home with dad.’ I simply nodded. Sometimes it’s just easier to stay silent.”
Dear NICU Mom: Your Strength Does Not Go Unnoticed
“This moment isn’t at all how you envisioned, but you are determined to embrace it anyway.”
‘I was anxious to break the news: ‘I’m pregnant.’ Four days later, my sister called. ‘I’m pregnant, too!’ We cried happy tears.’: After infertility battle, twins both deliver babies in ‘magical’ moment
“We delivered boys on the same day, in the same hospital, by the same doctor. Being a twin is unlike anything you can explain or understand.”
After I found out I was pregnant, my dad suffered a massive stroke. I snuggled up under his mighty arms and told him our secret. He smiled and said, ‘I can’t wait to meet her!’
“Thinking he was confused, I told him we didn’t know if it was a girl or a boy yet. He just winked at me.”
‘Can you take a 3-year old?’ He was so excited he interrupted the judge to explain exactly why he wanted to be adopted!’: Woman reunites brothers through emotional adoption journey, ‘I can’t imagine not living this life’
“The second Michael caught a glimpse of his brother from across the playground, he ran with all his might and jumped into his arms. We looked at each other and truly understood Dayshawn and Michael needed to be together. I’ve fallen in love over, and over, and over again.”