“The world shifted for me the moment Chuck said, ‘I want to have ten kids.’ You would think thirteen kids would be enough. And it was. But that didn’t stop us from deciding to add just one more baby.”
‘I gave birth to five babies in five years and one day. The phone rang, ‘We have a baby girl, and we want her picked up today.’: Couple adopts, gives birth to 14 kids
‘Your daughter’s heart will have to be stopped to repair it.’: Mom shares daughter’s diagnoses of VSD, Aorta Coarctation, thankful ‘her surgery is just a distant memory’
“How could such a small heart already have to stop beating? All I wanted was for them to just stop mine instead. I wanted them to take my heart to fix hers.”
‘My husband looked at me, eyes full of tears. ‘No more planning her death. She’s alive!’: Mom births miracle baby with Trisomy 18
“In a dizzy haze, I followed her to a small room. ‘Our staff has an ethical dilemma treating your child.’ I felt my heart drop. That was the day I took charge.”
‘The doctor walked in and said, ‘It’s time to take him.’ A rush of fear came over me. We were supposed to have another week.’: Heart warrior ‘defies the odds one day at a time’
“Thoughts of a nice smooth pregnancy went out the window. My biggest fears were coming to life.”
‘Are you constantly aware of your heartbeat?’ I was confused. Couldn’t everyone feel their heartbeat all the time?.’: Woman overcomes two open-heart surgeries
“I vividly remember putting my signature on a piece of paper that said, ‘Side effects: stroke and death.’ I turned to my family and said, ‘I’ve just signed my life away.'”
‘Before she died, I promised I’d be the best teacher I could. We had no idea how our life would unfold.’: Teacher turns special needs advocate after birthing son with Down Syndrome
“I felt like I let Mrs. Fisher down. But what felt like devastation soon turned into a new passion, one fueled by an even greater source of love — my son.”
‘God, PLEASE heal my child.’ Our future as parents seemed so unsure. We needed a MIRACLE. ‘Just keep pushing, baby.’: Mom to daughter fighting Ebstein’s Anomaly says ‘she’s our little light’
“‘I can’t celebrate, I can’t be happy!’ My dad told me, ‘Yes, you can. You’re going to enjoy these days with her.’ We relished in our sweet baby girl, just like my father told me. We soaked up EVERY milestone.”
‘Babe, were you drugged?’ The entire right side of my body was limp. I opened my mouth but words wouldn’t come out.’: Stroke survivor details recovery journey, ‘I got a second chance at life’
“My head started spinning. The next thing I knew, I woke up lying on the cold bathroom floor. A team of nurses pulled out defibrillators. ‘Claire, can you hear me?’ It was excruciating. I couldn’t help but scream out.”
‘Is it the right decision?’ They came to take her. I stood, paralyzed, and watched as she disappeared. There was debilitating fear.’: Girl with Down syndrome survives new heart surgery, ‘She’s one of the first to have it’
“I kept taking her picture, scared it could be the last one. I counted every eyelash, perfectly placed on her eyes. She would be the first on the West Coast to have this surgery. I didn’t want to let her go because then the decision would be final.”
‘Your heart is abnormal.’ I sent emails for a month with no reply. I already fainted at work and threw up blood.’: Woman with congenital heart defect shares struggles, ‘Keep fighting, warriors’
“I was constantly having hot flashes. I ended up throwing up blood and fainted at work. ’Go to Urgent Care.’ They weren’t really sure what was causing my problems. I was constantly waiting in the doctor’s office to get bad news.”
