“I viewed infertility as a problem to be solved. ‘If you choose to adopt, your child will always have two sets of parents and families. You’re just going to have to deal with it.’ So much for a spoonful of sugar with our medicine. I scribbled out ‘adoption’ as a choice.”
‘Just keep trying!’ My biological clock was ticking. Adoption was dead last on my list. I had NO desire to ‘share’ my child with anyone else.’: Couple pursues adoption after infertility, ‘They mended my heart’
‘You’re a MONSTER.’ I felt like I needed to ‘win’ her love. But my dad never let me down.’: Childhood abuse survivor adopted, ‘I FINALLY feel loved’
“My dad NEVER let me down. He never promised anything he couldn’t keep. When you think about it, I had my adoptive parents my whole life. They just couldn’t call me theirs until it was legal to do so.”
‘I was called a ‘big-nosed Jew.’ I NEEDED to fit in. When I got my diagnosis, I was in denial. My disability was the first thing people saw.’: Woman with muscular dystrophy finds self-acceptance, ‘I’m unapologetically me’
“I changed my name and perfected my accent. No one knew about my past. I exercised, dieted, tanned, toned, concealed, and accentuated—all for attention. Then I noticed muscle weakness. At that moment, I knew.”
‘She has a 2% chance of survival.’ My whole life became this beautiful little girl. Then I realized we had more in common than I thought.’: Man with autism turns to running to show daughter ‘Daddy can do it’
“Doctors thought she was blind, but I knew she was autistic. I needed to show her autism could be a gift. Running was the answer to how I was feeling. I downloaded an app, gathered equipment, and our adventure began.”
‘What have I done to deserve this?’ I’d wake up hoping the drugs and alcohol had killed me in my sleep. The pain was unbearable’: Man with Crohn’s disease celebrates 8 months sober
“At age 20, I had two feet of my small bowel removed. I’d be straining my stomach acid out. I didn’t tell anyone about how much it was affected my mental health. I started drinking in the daytime. I wanted to end my life.”
‘If you tell anyone about this, you won’t live.’ I was determined to break the generational curses and trauma. Survival mode kicked in.’: Abuse survivor shares journey to healing and self-love
“At 3 years old, I was forced to drink raw eggs and smoke half of a cigarette by my mom’s boyfriend. The court system failed me. At 19, I became homeless. I tried to leave my relationship but found myself fighting an uphill battle. By the time I had my second daughter, I knew I needed to find a way out.”
‘You have to work harder because of skin color.’ There was NO ONE like me in my classes. I’m changing the narrative.’: Transracial adoptee reflects on ‘reclaiming’ her culture, ‘I’m not alone anymore’
“I wasn’t ‘Latina enough’ to befriend kids at school. My white peers would say things like ‘I don’t see color,’ which made me feel like I was on both sides of the coin. I tried DESPERATELY to fit in and be accepted.”
‘There’s some bad news regarding your blood work.’ They spent 12 HOURS on his spine. We weren’t sure he’d ever crawl. But he DID.’: Mom births baby with spina bifida, ‘He completes us’
“He may have a disability, but Tommy is capABLE of anything. His happiness, love of life, and laughter is something which will forever bring smiles to the face of anyone he meets. He is our ANGEL.”
‘I feared I wouldn’t make enough for her, so I built a MASSIVE stash. Just because it’s a natural thing doesn’t mean it comes naturally to every mom.’: Woman donates breast milk, ‘I’m SO grateful to help’
“I never knew where breastfeeding would lead me. I never had an end goal in mind. To be honest with you, I didn’t know any of this was possible.”
‘Where’s the nearest bathroom?’ I had to plan an ‘escape route’ if things went south. I went home defeated, but tried to do life as normal.’: Man with ulcerative colitis urges others to ‘choose joy and love’
“It wasn’t until the first few times I completely crapped my pants in public I started taking my illness seriously. I blacked out, screaming, ‘Help me!’ Something wasn’t right. I had to take back the life I’d lost.”
