“I was only 6 years when cancer consumed my life. Some people try to erase their history of battling cancer; I choose to embrace it.”
‘Brushing my hair for the first day of 1st Grade, my mom’s face grew concerned. ‘I’m fine!’ The lump doubled in size by the time I returned from school.’: Leukemia survivor creates foundation to inspire hope among community
‘It was a Tuesday night when I phoned my parents at 1 a.m. whimpering, ‘Mom, I have a really bad feeling about my marriage…’: Brave survivor explains being stuck in 13-year-long abusive relationship without knowing
“My parents pulled up with their pick-up truck and helped me flee. I left with $400, my cat, and my car. I’d been in an abusive relationship for 13 years… without even knowing it.”
‘You should take a look at this.’ It was IDENTICAL TWINS! I was oblivious to the doctor’s concerns.’: Endometriosis warrior welcomes premie twins in NICU, ‘You go one day at a time’
“I had to undergo surgery to give my babies a chance to survive. The procedures were TERRIFYING. But I would endure whatever it took!”
‘I was striving for unattainable perfection.’: Woman with Cerebral Palsy shares battle with PTSD, ‘I was BORN to thrive’
“I didn’t see an end in sight. I stayed up for 32 hours straight as panic attacks caused me to blackout, resulting in concussions. I was tired. I was done.”
‘He had to learn how to ‘read’ tattoos. He started vomiting before every shift, always locking the doors and closing the curtains. He became suspicious of EVERYONE.’: Wife shares husband’s PTSD from job as a correctional officer, ‘It changed him’
“He left the penitentiary, but it didn’t leave him.”
‘I sat on the floor, my head in a toilet. My sister said, ‘I’m not doing this anymore.’ My favorite person was done. That was enough for me.’: Woman details sobriety and mental health journey
“As a child, I was scared of everything. I felt on edge about everything. When the effects of cheap vodka flooded over me, all of my fears washed away. I finally felt like I was enough. I felt invincible, and I loved it.”
‘When I think back to 2020, I’ll remember the anxiety and fear. But I’ll also remember the camaraderie of my coworkers and time spent with family.’: Nurse pens goodbye to 2020
“With every dark memory, there is light too. When masks and food were left at my doorstep. The way my sister never failed to include us in her grocery trips. The way our teachers persevered. There’s a silver lining to take away from it all.“
‘Everything looked normal to the surgeon.’ I felt helpless. My fight to find what was wrong was nowhere near over.’: Woman finally diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease, ‘Be your own advocate’
“I woke up in the recovery room. ‘Did they find anything?’ My heart broke when the tests came back clear. I’d been relying on this surgery to give me answers. My body was struggling.”
‘They took away the light within me, and I had no support from my school.’: Teen bullying victim with autism shares heartbreaking plea for change
“The bullies made an album of inappropriate images and comments about me. Too embarrassed to show my parents, the school kept it a secret. We were told we had to be ‘tolerant towards other children.’ I just want to venture outdoors and live my dreams without being targeted.”
‘We think you have depression.’ I felt like a freak. What would people say? I thought no one could ‘fix’ me.’: Woman becomes mental health advocate, ‘This is my purpose’
“I started skipping classes. My family called me, but I ignored them. I didn’t actually know what depression was. All I knew about it were the cheesy commercials advertising anti-depressants. I felt ashamed of myself.”
