Love is all you need
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‘I was called a ‘big-nosed Jew.’ I NEEDED to fit in. When I got my diagnosis, I was in denial. My disability was the first thing people saw.’: Woman with muscular dystrophy finds self-acceptance, ‘I’m unapologetically me’
“I changed my name and perfected my accent. No one knew about my past. I exercised, dieted, tanned, toned, concealed, and accentuated—all for attention. Then I noticed muscle weakness. At that moment, I knew.”
‘She has a 2% chance of survival.’ My whole life became this beautiful little girl. Then I realized we had more in common than I thought.’: Man with autism turns to running to show daughter ‘Daddy can do it’
“Doctors thought she was blind, but I knew she was autistic. I needed to show her autism could be a gift. Running was the answer to how I was feeling. I downloaded an app, gathered equipment, and our adventure began.”
‘Mom, I want to join cross country!’ She looked confused. If your child had a life-threatening disease, you’d hesitate too.’: Runner with cystic fibrosis follows dream, ‘Giving up wasn’t an option’
“Who’d believe a little girl like me with such an evil disease would be SO GOOD. My mom called my dad and said, ‘Your daughter is winning, and not just by a little!’”
‘He took his skates off and said, ‘You spent the whole time on your phone doing your job. You didn’t even watch me.’ I was shocked.’: Mom learns important lesson about screen time, ‘Little eyes are watching’
“For the next 5 minutes, he scolded me. A full role-reversal. The child scolding the parent for technology time.”
‘You have an 80% chance of getting breast cancer.’ I’d worked so hard to feel confident in my own skin. Would surgery change that?’: BRCA1 carrier details self-love journey, ‘You’re stronger than you know’
“I spent most of my life at war with my body. I heard one of the girls utter the word, ‘Pig.’ Me. They thought I looked like a pig. I looked in the mirror and realized I didn’t look like them. I was different.”
‘My extreme ‘healthy eating’ convinced me drinking milk was ‘treating myself.’ I’d go to bed happy with a 500-calorie deficit.’: Young woman battling orthorexia details journey to self-love
“I was constantly told, ‘You’re so dedicated.’ ‘I wish I had your willpower.’ I wore these compliments with pride thinking, ‘If only I could have more self-control, all of my problems will be fixed.'”
‘You know I’m in a wheelchair, right?’ I canceled our date. I limited myself on the love I truly deserved.’: Interabled couple share love story, ‘Our relationship is 50/50, no matter what society thinks’
“Plenty of guys asked creepy questions or even had a wheelchair fetish. My hopes were never high. He changed the course of my life with one message. ‘Hi.’ Teenage me would have never imagined this kind of love for herself.”
‘When he needs me, he can reach out that cute little hand and mine will be right there, ready for him. Steady for him.’: Special needs mom shares ode to brave son with extra chromosome, ‘I hold his hands, but he holds my heart’
“Every step he takes is a mountain climbed, every word he signs or says is a dream realized, every milestone met, a prayer answered. He is the bravest person I know.”
‘The doctor said, ‘It’s just teenage girl stuff.’ I was living with everyday pain as if it were normal, forced to accept feeling this way forever.’: Young woman shares journey to Ulcerative Colitis diagnosis, ‘My life is just beginning’
“I was 21, almost done with my senior year of college. These were supposed to be the best years of my life, yet every day I felt sick and exhausted and no doctor could tell me why. I was told it was ‘all in my head.’ I lost friends because no one could understand. Soon, I was withdrawing from my semester from a hospital bed.”
‘He’s a HORRIBLE little boy.’ My heart broke into pieces.’: Mom details parenting two children with ADHD, ‘The tears and tantrums were worth it’
“Parenting two teens with ADHD is a walk in the park, if it’s Jurassic Park!”
