“I was so afraid of being ‘crazy’ I couldn’t admit I needed help when I was literally in the hospital for psych evaluation. Today, I’m healthier than I’ve ever been in my life. But it came at a price. I lost my best friend. My soul sister. I live every day in fear of the monster who lives within me.”

‘Something happened,’ I sobbed. ‘We had a fight and she called the police. I’m going to the hospital.’ I was convinced my boyfriend would break up with me on the spot.’: Woman with Bipolar Disorder details eye-opening journey to acceptance

‘The clerk answered the phone in a shaky voice. ‘Oh my god, sir. Is your son tall and strong with black hair?’: 16-year-old ‘hero’ rescues 3 children from sex trafficking, ‘Love conquers all’
“With no regard for his own safety, he approached the blood-soaked scene to a man attempting to kidnap 3 children. Not knowing if he had a knife, a gun, or what level of danger he was facing, my son sprang into action.”

‘The principal came over the loudspeaker. ‘What’s going on?’ I panicked as we left. ‘They can’t find your Grandma Myrna.’: Woman remembers grandma lost on 9/11, ‘I still miss her laugh’
“She worked at the World Trade Center, and she’d shop on her lunch break. She ALWAYS had the most out-of-this-world clothing. She was constantly turning heads. ‘Do you think Grandma is gone?’ All I remember is the way she looked at me.”

‘Firemen will put it out. It’ll be okay.’ The air was thick with fuel and human remains. I’m not the hero of this story.’: Photographer documents ground zero, ‘I wasn’t there by accident’
“A police officer yelled into his two-way radio, ‘It’s gone. The World Trade Center is gone.’ God only knows what I inhaled that day. I wasn’t sure I’d survive.”

‘Stay calm, keep moving. You’re getting out of here.’ The firefighter lifted me up. The lights faded, water filling at my feet. Panic set in.’: 9/11 survivor thanks firefighter for saving her life, ‘I will live each day to its fullest, never in vain of his heroism’
“Moments after I escaped, I heard the loudest rumble I’ve ever heard in my life. ‘Run!’ Thousands began to sprint, trampling over one another. The South Tower was collapsing. Even after evacuating the building, we were not safe. Covered in white debris and black ash, the real terror set in. My parents began funeral arrangements.”

‘You asked me this morning, on your birthday, ‘Why did those people blow up New York?’ I was unprepared for this moment.’: Mom shares open letter to 9/11 baby
“On the morning of September 11th, I went into labor. You were born just before midnight, 12 years after that ominous day changed our worlds forever. How do you explain hate to a beautiful, loving, kind, newly-minted 6-year-old?”

‘Why do you do what you do?’ The answer is always the same: ‘To give back to the families who lost everything.’: Police officer uses all his free time to create portraits in honor of fallen heroes
“I have no intention of ever stopping.”

‘We won’t charge you for her. She’ll be FREE!’ I was freaking out. We already had 5 children. We didn’t sign up for this. We’re done, right?!’: Mom of 10 has all-natural birth at age 43, ‘We’ve brought 7 lives into the world, and saved 3. That’s worth it!’
“Let’s just say, passion wasn’t an issue in our relationship. We were headed to the movies and had a conversation that I might be pregnant. He asked me to take a pregnancy test in the movie theater restroom. I just swung my arms in a rocking cradle motion as I walked towards them. My family started asking if we were done. My mom even told me I needed to make John an appointment for a vasectomy. Funny story.”

‘He would count, look up, then scream ‘GO!’ The officer was helping us avoid the falling bodies.’: Woman describes feeling like a ‘walking zombie’ after surviving 9/11 attack in World Trade Center
“What looked like ash started falling from the sky, followed by a HUGE fireball. I was on the 32nd floor in the stairwell when the second plane hit. The force of the impact threw me up against the wall. Once we got across the street, I stopped, looked up and saw the buildings with huge flaming holes. I swear to you I looked at my friend and said, ‘Do you think we’ll have class tomorrow?’”

‘My daughter arrived on 9/11. I woke up to see the first tower falling. I thought my family was watching an action movie.’: Mother gives birth on September 11th, ‘I was not emotionally OK’
“My OBGYN came in to check on me while not knowing where her own husband was at Ground Zero. I was in a hospital where they were calling in extra nurses and doctors for the casualties that should be arriving, but never came. Everyone knows where they were on 9/11, but I lived that day in a strange reality.”