“I had severe pain on my right side that wouldn’t go away. I was taken to the ICU, where the fight of my life began. I was hospitalized for over 40 days while they tried to save me.”
‘I had a once in a lifetime, freak emergency. When I tell doctors what happened, they don’t believe me.’: Chronic illness warrior urges ‘hold on to joy’
‘If you’re willing to adopt a child like THAT, you’ll move to the top of the list.’: Single woman adopts girl with Down Syndrome, Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome
“‘This child is SICK.’ I remember the pain as I said goodbye to her and walked out of her room, tears streaming down my face. I’ve found until you know the deepest pain, you can never really know the deepest joy.”
‘Do you want to hold your baby?’ Through tears I repeated, ‘No, you need to keep trying.’ Matthew fought to live well before he was born.’: Mom details life and loss of preemie child, ‘My kids are here because, not instead of him’
“What Matthew lacked in size, he made up for in personality. ‘God, if you’re going to take him, please let me be there with him.’ I was determined to squeeze in every second I could.”
‘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
“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.”
‘The doctor said, ‘Something is brewing, but I just can’t put my finger on it.’ I went from a ‘migraine’ to blacking out for two months.’: Teen battling chronic illness urges ‘let the worst inspire the good’
“I spiked a 108-degree fever. I was stripped naked, covered with cold cloths, and had fans blasting my body. Soon after, I went psychotic. Nothing I said made sense, and everything had a twisted meaning. HGTV sent me into full-blown panic.”
‘I felt my throat closing. ‘Buddy, the monster’s back. We have to fight him again.’ He gave me a fist bump. ‘We got this, Mama.’: Mom shares son’s journey battling Ewing’s Sarcoma twice
“We went to Urgent Care 11 times in a month. They kept sending us home. ‘We don’t know why he’s in pain.’ I was a nervous wreck. When we found it, the tumor was the size of a softball in his tiny body.”
‘It’s stage 4.’ What followed was brutal. My body was no longer my own and the pain was indescribable. I lost my identity.’: Cancer survivor births rainbow baby, ‘It was worth everything’
“I had to start chemo right away and didn’t have time to freeze my eggs. I was told, ‘Pregnancy might be difficult.’ I lost my long hair, my identity, and the life I had just grasped.”
‘Everything is fine, but…’ I tensed up. I thought everyone was in as much pain as I was. I found myself alone with NO answers.’: Chronic illness warrior urges ‘NEVER give up on your health’
“Doctors told me, ‘It’s all in your head.’ I started to lose hope. I couldn’t even take a shower or wash my hair without help. I couldn’t swallow without difficulty and occasional choking. It started to sink in. My life will always be different than others.”
‘90% of your kidneys are scarred.’ I was terrified and in denial. Somehow, my body had betrayed me.’: Man details journey with Stage 5 Chronic Kidney Failure, ‘I am a fighter’
“All I could think of was how miserable my uncle was on dialysis. He plugged himself in every night for 8 hours while a machine cleaned his blood. ‘I won’t do dialysis and just let myself die.’ 15 years later, here I am.”
‘I want to be a part of the race.’ I’d go full throttle on the joystick. I felt free from the burdens of my disease.’: Man details journey with Duchene Muscular Dystrophy, ‘I’ll always be strong’
“It was an adrenaline rush. In those brief seconds, the freedom was priceless. The thin line of scar down most of my back is a reminder of how I’ll always stay strong.”
