“I was bawling my eyes out, thinking, ‘No, no. My baby is gone.’ I could feel panic in the room. There were probably 20 people rushing around, getting me prepped. Half were for me, and half were for the baby when she was born.”
‘I think my water broke!’ It was a dark, thick blood, flowing out of me. They worried I’d birth in the helicopter.’: Woman suffers placental abruption in traumatic childbirth, ‘I thank God she’s ok’
‘I was told, ‘Crab meat will ‘cure’ it.’ They suggested I stop taking insulin. My parents worried if anyone would ever marry me.’: Young woman describes hardships of being Type 1 Diabetic in India
“I wanted to be ‘normal’ like my friends. I started neglecting my health. As you can imagine, it doesn’t take too long to forget about the nasty finger pricks and injections. I had to skip some because of ‘what people would think.’”
‘Do you know where you are?’ I shook my head yes. ‘Do you know who I am?’ Yes, I nodded, grabbing his wedding band. Then, Jeremy left the room. I coded 3 more times.’
“‘Do you know who Lisa and Jerry are?’ Again, I nodded yes. I recognized my parents’ names. ‘Do you know who Jamee and Isabella are?’ I couldn’t recall. The names seemed foreign. My own children.”
‘I told her, ‘Your mom is here.’ I admit, her appearance is shocking to most people.’: Mom gives birth to daughter with severe birth defects
“The nurses started whispering I didn’t want to see my own daughter, that I was rejecting her. After hearing those comments, I got up. I touched her face. Sometimes it’s impossible to not be uncomfortable when people stare at us in the street, and see her as an alien. I dream they can see her like I do, as a beautiful little girl.”
‘Expect problems,’ she told us. I had heard those words before, yet my brain couldn’t make sense of them. ‘What kind of problems?,’ I asked, my voice trembling.’
“A dark thought crossed my mind. ‘Maybe David will die, and we’ll be able to forget this whole thing ever happened.’ As soon as that thought came, it was quickly followed by another. ‘God, please, please don’t let my baby die!’”
‘My husband entered the kitchen and announced he canceled the vasectomy. ‘I’m willing to try for one more.’ Two identical, squirmy bodies appeared on screen.’: Mom celebrates the birth of Down syndrome twins
“‘Look at our sweet girls,’ we cooed. Had the last ultrasound been this quiet? Two identical, squirmy bodies appeared on screen. Six specialists took turns presenting the same results. ‘Both your daughters will require open heart surgery.’ Information on testing and abortion: excessive. I would again be facing those heavy double doors.”
‘My son died of the flu in only 48 hours. On Christmas Day. He hadn’t yet received his vaccine.’: Mom loses son to influenza, claims ‘good health’ does not protect against the flu
“I delayed my child’s flu shot for a wellness visit after the holidays. Leon never made it to that appointment. I let his flu shot slip through the cracks because we spent our time and energy on the holidays. I continue to feel the weight of his absence every day, in every corner of our home.”
‘I woke up being wheeled to the ICU in the worst pain imaginable. All I could silently mouth was ‘How’s my baby?’ I needed a doctor to believe me.’
“I was frustrated and angry. I know my body and I know that this isn’t a migraine!”
‘You are too skinny, not tall enough, and you have never delivered a baby before. You will have an unsuccessful triplet pregnancy.’ That’s what my doctor told me at my first ultrasound.
“’We need to get in the OR now,’ my doctor said. Then she turned to my mom. ‘You need to find Ryan. And pray. She has lost a lot of blood.’”
‘We got the horrifying call in the middle of the night: ‘She’s bleeding from her mouth and we don’t know where it’s coming from and can’t stop it.’: Mom shares grief journey after losing twin to rare heart defect, DiGeorge Syndrome
“She’d been taken in for emergency surgery. The bleeding seemed to have slowed, but they still hadn’t found the source. ‘She’s losing too much blood and I don’t think she’s going to make it.’ But she wasn’t gone…there was still hope. The next time the doctor came in, all hope was lost.”
