Touching
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‘How did I get here?’ I kneeled over the toilet, heart racing. Suddenly, I heard God speaking, ‘Don’t do this, Rachel.’: Woman shares eating disorder recovery journey, ‘I had to break free’
“Could I escape from this prison of disordered eating, self-hatred, and destructive pursuit of weight loss? Would I ever find love? My knees ached as I shakily got up off the cold tile floor. I couldn’t keep living like this.”
‘She talks to him, even though she knows he can’t talk back.’: Mom shares ‘heart-melting’ friendship between non-verbal, autistic son and classmate
“She could bully him, pick on him because he is different. Instead, she doesn’t try to change him. She sits with him, holds his hand, and likes him just the way he is. This is not your typical love story.”
‘Sometimes people won’t change their minds.’ Why? We just want everyone to be equal.’: Woman activist urges ‘we CAN make a difference’
“This is what it looks like coming up on my sister’s 5-year anniversary of her passing in the middle of a pandemic and cultural warfare. You see friends, this isn’t fun for us. It isn’t fun pointing out privilege and systemic racism when you see it. People hate us when we do it.”
‘Drop everything and get to the hospital.’ The doctors were baffled. They couldn’t believe I was still standing.’: Woman diagnosed with Addison’s disease, ‘I’m alive by chance’
“Walking up the stairs was nearly impossible. I was always on the sofa, wishing the day away. My life completely changed overnight. In less than 24 hours, I went from dying to being more alive than I ever have.”
‘He’s been born, and YOU were chosen!’ Only 4 pounds, I was scared to even TOUCH him.’: Couple adopt baby with Down syndrome after scare, ‘We were meant for this’
“We were told, ‘You’re crazy.’ In an instant, I knew we had to pursue him. I didn’t know joy and sorrow could coexist.”
‘Come OOOONNN!’ I used to wonder why my mom was always the last one out of the house. Then I became a mom.’: Mom says ‘we take care of absolutely everyone and everything before ourselves’
“For the longest time, I didn’t get it. She had started at the same time we did! Then I became a mom.”
‘I only had sex once!’ I became a missing teen mom. Posters of me were up all over town.’: Woman escapes abusive relationship, graduates college as first-generation LGBT student
“‘Don’t even THINK about being with a woman!’ I kept my only ‘girl on girl’ relationship hush-hush. And then I met him. He convinced me to run away from home.”
‘He didn’t try to replace her dad. He came along, just when we thought we’d never feel joy again, and filled the unspeakable void in our hearts.’: Widow pens appreciation letter to bonus dad
“She didn’t have a dad anymore. A guy to love her no matter what, intimidate boys, or agree with her when mom was acting crazy. And then, just when I thought she was never going to feel joy again, along he came.”
‘I can only do so much.’ It’s just the two of us. One day, I won’t be here. Who will tell her I’m gone? Who will make sure she’s safe?’: Autism mom shares daughter’s journey, ‘I’ll let her lead the way’
“We were in survival mode. She kicked me in the face and dragged me across the kitchen floor. I got her in the car and drove straight to the hospital. I dropped to my knees, begging for someone to help my daughter.”
‘You can’t withstand this storm.’ I AM THE STORM. I’m determined, I pushed myself harder than I ever have in my life.’: Woman recovering from COVID-19 and complications details hospital experience, ‘I will always keep fighting’
“March 23rd. I start coughing up blood and it’s hard to breathe. My Apple Watch is saying my resting heart rate is 157. It’s never happened before, so obviously it’s concerning.”
