“His doctors were hopeful we could take him out of the house for the first time EVER this summer. We could introduce him to his family members and friends. We could let him play on a playground, like a normal toddler. However, now our future is unknown again as the pandemic has erupted.”
‘He can never leave the house.’ We have not seen our family or friends in over a year.’: Mom of severely immunocompromised son says ‘I am tired of headlines saying only the vulnerable will die’
‘It’s just a flu. It only affects old people.’ You’re weeks away from Italy. Millions of people must change their behavior, today.’: Woman explains why COVID-19 has ‘brought Italy to its knees’
“Push for the entire office to work at home. Cancel birthday parties and other gatherings. Stay home as much as you can. If you have a fever, any fever, stay home. Push for school closures, now. If you do these things now, you can buy your medical system time. You have a chance to make a difference and stop the spread in your country.”
‘Breathe in slow,’ my mother said. Our hands interlocked as the long needle entered my back. She gripped me with her hands.’: Woman recounts how mother saved her life, ‘Moms have this magic way of easing pain’
“The deadly bacterial infection spread to my heart. The machine next to my bed started beeping wildly. I remember the fluorescent lights burning my eyes. The beeps kept getting louder, louder. My mother flew over, piling blankets over me. Though my mother was not calm this time, I breathed her in. That’s all I remember. No pain.”
‘A nurse looked me in the eye. ‘It’s not your fault.’ A needle dug into my arm while I fought the oxygen mask over my face.’: Woman comes back to life after dying in child birth, ‘The odds were stacked against me’
“The nurses wheeled me into the cold, brightly lit room. Panic set in as I drifted to sleep. I never got to meet my son on his birthday. Never got to be the first to look into his eyes. I went into full cardiac arrest. After 58 minutes of intense efforts to shock my heart into beating again, I was placed on life support. The day David became a dad was also the day he was faced with losing his wife. I awoke days later surrounded by tubes, wires, beeping machines, and a picture of our baby. ‘Did it not go well?’ I struggled to get the words out.”
‘I can’t tell my dad, please, you have to.’ I couldn’t say the words. ‘Sometimes we don’t all make it to the end.’: Young woman survives cancer 3 times, says she is ‘finally living her full life’
“My husband held me as I cried and said, ‘I just don’t know if I can do it all again.’ I took a minute to figure out if it was the path I wanted to take. I was so exhausted, I didn’t know what would happen nor was I in a state to even TRY. I dug deep and knew in my heart I had to fight again. I was not going to let my family down by giving up.”
‘This is it! I’m not going to make it. He’s going be raising our baby alone.’ I said goodbye to husband for the very last time.’: Mom survives preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome, delivers micropreemie who defies odds, ‘She is a sassy fighter’
“A nurse held my hand and whispered a prayer in my ear. That’s the last thing I remember before falling asleep. When I opened my eyes, I was alone. I tried to lift my hands and feet but couldn’t – I was tied to the bed. I began to panic. I couldn’t rest until I laid eyes on my little miracle. She was kicking, flailing her arms. I touched her finger and she grabbed my finger with all her might. It was then I knew, not only would she, but WE, would be just fine.”
‘I mouthed, ‘I can breathe.’ Dark voices started whispering inside my head. ‘I am scared to be a mother.’: Young woman survives near-fatal wreck, beats all odds, ‘My journey isn’t over but I’m starting to feel like ME again’
“I was in a medically induced coma for 17 days. I awakened to some very dark news. The doctors said, ‘You will probably never move more than 2 fingers.’ I am hearing this, but I can’t respond. I could not talk. I wondered why I was still alive. Prior to the wreck, I had long thick hair. They started washing it. Nurses were pulling out glass and other debris. I begged them not to cut it, as it was all I had left of my previous self.”
‘I have to remove his top lip.’ It had turned black. Half his face was gone, it reminded me of a zombie.’: Boy battles leukemia, mouth infection, now in remission and mom says ‘we still continue to trust in God’
“A nurse grabbed me, saying, ‘Pray for your son NOW, and pray he makes it.’ She asked me if I needed to leave the room. ‘No, I’m NOT leaving my son.’ Every day I felt like I was dreaming. I don’t know how I was still standing.”
‘Everyone disappeared. Quickly I became ‘old news’ and no one cared anymore. Everyone except my family.’: Woman becomes septic after having gallstones, is now tube fed but ‘appreciates what I have instead of focusing on what I’ve lost’
“No one visited or called or even sent a message to see how I was doing. It all started when I had an emergency C-section.”
‘We need to make her soup so she feels better!’ I had to explain to my 5-year-old his sister was going to heaven.’: Mom loses daughter to Neuroblastoma, ‘we will never forget our brave, beautiful warrior’
“I watched her breathe so slowly. ‘It’s okay to go now. You won’t be in pain anymore.’ At 9:14 p.m. she took her last breath. Her brothers cuddled her one last time and said their final goodbyes. There’s something about seeing your 5-year-old carrying a tiny little casket that will break your heart and make you so proud all at the same time. He was always holding his little sister, even in death.”
