“My stepmom gave me an ultimatum. ‘Your belongings are in trash bags on the front porch.’ I was not allowed to call or see my father. What I thought was a trip to Grandma’s ended in me being locked in a religious cult for 5 years as I battled cancer.”
‘A heavy door slammed behind me. I begged, ‘I promise I’ll be the best little girl. Please do not leave me here!’ A creepy man said ‘young lady’ and grabbed me by the shoulders.’: Woman details journey battling cancer while in teen religious cult
‘I’m struggling with money to get formula.’ How wonderful it was to know that my body was capable of making a little extra for other families.’: New mom donates breast milk, ‘I see your tears and my heart is with you’
“The employees were kind and talked to me about their situation with tears in their eyes. My heart dropped to the floor. It opened my eyes to the difficulties so many go through.”
‘I COULDN’T let him down. The biggest brown eyes popped out at me. We took in every detail of his face.’: Couple adopts, has surprise pregnancy, ‘I love them equally, forever’
“I must have pulled that pregnancy test out of the trash 16 times to make sure I wasn’t making it up. ‘I’m pregnant,’ I blurted to my husband. We sat speechless on the phone until he said, ‘Well, looks like we are bringing home siblings after all!'”
‘He’s still the boy you love dearly.’ We thought he was a happy baby. I had NO idea he fought for every breath.’: Mom welcomes baby with congenital heart defects, ‘He’s a force to be reckoned with’
“My baby was going to have to endure the unthinkable, and there was nothing I could do.”
‘I’m going to dance at your wedding!’ Something about him struck me. I tried to play it cool. We never saw what was to come.’: Woman loses husband to Covid-19, advocates for other victims after viral post
‘I will never forget the moment I first saw him, the world seemed brighter. I told him, ‘You’re going to sleep, but in a few days we’ll pick you up. I found a note from him saying, ‘Always be happy no matter what.’”
Teen Bullying Victim Turns Pain Into Purpose, Donates 600 Handmade Blankets To People In Need
“I was told I don’t matter. When I saw their smiles, I immediately forgot about the rest of the world around me, because the only thing that mattered was making that person feel loved.”
‘What do you do for love? Have a baby! I was in the middle of drug deals, poisoning myself. It was a wake-up call.’: Woman details sobriety journey, ‘Obstacles gave me opportunities’
“I was taught, if you do what you’re supposed to and look how you’re supposed to look, you can and ‘deserve’ to drink, smoke, and vandalize when people aren’t looking.”
‘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.”
‘My Tinder date said, ‘Let me see what SHE wants to drink…’ I felt a huge, warm feeling in the pit of my stomach. It was the first time I was addressed with female pronouns.’: Woman comes out as trans with support from co-workers, friends
“I was born on January 25, 1995. The name on my birth certificate is recorded as Derek Sabado with the letter ‘M’ next to it. The year is 2021, and as I’m writing this, I have never felt more happy and proud of the woman I have become.”
‘My 2-week-old infant in my arms, I discovered my husband was having an affair with a close friend. All I could mutter was, ‘I’m going to die,’ over and over again.’: Woman navigates marital infidelity, addiction, ‘I am living proof it gets better’
“I told my therapist, ‘We sit on opposite sofas in the living room, but I feel like we’re on opposite planets. There’s no intimacy, no passion.’ I chalked it up to being newlyweds while he battled multiple addictions behind closed doors. When I discovered the messages, I screenshotted them, planning to present them in divorce court.”
