“They said our income exceeded the guidelines. I was so upset because I did not understand. I just wanted the insurance he was entitled to due to his condition. Autism is so complex.”

‘I applied for at-home services through our primary insurance, but was denied. We needed to do a psychological exam and have a diagnosis. We did that and were still denied.’: Mother of autistic child receives act of kindness, support from community, ‘It takes a village’

‘You put the kids before me.’ I didn’t realize I’d failed him, too. I truly assumed love would be enough.’: Mom of 3 discovers husband’s infidelity, goes on ‘journey to redefine our family’
“There were warning signs, but I thought we just needed time to find our groove. While he was away on a ‘business trip,’ he left his Sprint account open. It blew up in my face. I felt like I was failing my daughters.”

‘You CAN’T do it all. You aren’t a robot. Screw what anyone else says.’: Mom urges other parents to ‘ask for help’
“I love my children, but this is me. I need antidepressants to be a better mother. My house will sometimes look like a bomb site. That’s how I survive.”

‘He probably needed a break. I took her from him and sent him to go get some time and space alone. I took over the parenting responsibilities.’: Mom of seven details ‘parental regret,’ urges ‘be honest about it’
“I snapped a pic, walked over, and took her from him. This photo sums up why I don’t regret becoming a parent.”

‘I’ve had my accounts hacked. I’ve had my words twisted and changed to reflect me as a horrible person. I feel stronger.’: Woman who was hacked says ‘never give up’
“A boyfriend of years left me for another girl. I grabbed my phone and I wrote while my baby gnawed on my nipples.”

‘I don’t wait for my sister to ask before I take her baby. ‘I’m bringing him to the bedroom, turning on my favorite show, and he is mine for the next 2 hours.’: Mom of 3 urges ‘stand in the gap’
“I’ll change his clothes when they’re soaked in drool. I’ll feed him when he gets hungry. I’ll change his diapers. I’m not waiting for the burnout, the exhaustion, or the overwhelm. I’m standing in the gap for her now, loving on her by loving on him.”

‘The labor staff kept asking, ‘Is Daddy on the way?’ I was carrying a dead man’s baby. It hit me like a ton of bricks.’: Woman gives birth after husband’s passing, ‘Tomorrow isn’t promised’
“We found out we were expecting. Kyle was over the moon! ‘We got this,’ he reassured me. We were 6 weeks along. A few days later, I received one of the worst texts of my life: ‘Kyle is gone.’ I didn’t believe it. I was in major DENIAL. I pretended like nothing happened for a few hours until I decided to call the hospital for confirmation. I was carrying a dead man’s baby.”

‘We received a little boy almost 3 years old. We didn’t have enough clothes or toys, but the joy on his face was the biggest blessing in the world.’: Mom shares important lesson about foster care, ‘When people say it takes a village, it does’
“I didn’t really think about the impact us being a foster family would have on our extended family and our friends. They stepped in and helped us in so many ways, I can’t even count them.”

‘Will my husband stay at home and miss the birth?’ My contractions were 8 minutes apart. I was shrieking in pain.’: Mom births baby during pandemic, ‘We pray we can all embrace again’
“Our parents cancelled their flights. We debated what to do. With each contraction, I started cursing for my husband. I needed him. In a movie-worthy scene, my husband arrived, breathless, as I dug my fingernails into his hand. Being in the midst of a pandemic while becoming a mother is something I truly never anticipated.”

‘My student came into my room, put his head down on the desk, and started crying. He was DEVASTATED.’: Teacher surprises student with ‘care package’ after being bullied for making his own shirt
“When I told my students we’d be participating in college colors day, this particular child told me he wanted to wear a University of Tennessee shirt, but he didn’t have one. So, when the day finally arrived, he was SO EXCITED to show me the shirt he made. He took it one step further to make his own label. Unfortunately, some girls at the lunch table next to him made fun of the sign. So, I planned an extra special surprise.”