“I was in a shoe store with my mom, talking to strangers in what I thought was Spanish. I’m not bilingual, but in my mind, I thought I knew the language. I’d been off my whole life, but I never knew why.”

‘We’re being secretly recorded for a reality show!’ There was something wrong with me. I was completely paranoid.’: Woman with Bipolar Disorder becomes advocate, ‘It’s a constant battle’

‘All of the sudden, I heard a gunshot and fell to the ground. ‘I can’t feel my legs.’ I lifted my shirt to see a hole in my chest.’: Paraplegic advocates for accessibility, ‘It’s made me who I am’
“It was back to square one. I had to learn to sit up, roll over in bed, get dressed. The one single aggravating moment I remember well was trying to put on my socks, which felt like an impossible feat. It literally took over an hour. It was never easy.”

I Don’t Have A Natural Motherly Instinct, But I Am Still A Good Mom
“After 10 hours of labor, they placed her in my arms. As soon as the nurses left the room I turned to my husband and said, ‘What do we do?’ I was terrified. Everyone told me my motherly instincts would kick in. 3 years in, they still haven’t.”

‘Can you make me fall in love with my husband again?’ The AHA moment came. The therapist said to him, ‘Not once have you acknowledged your wife’s feelings. All you talk about is yourself.’: Woman finds ‘indescribable love’ after finding courage to divorce
“Here I was, recently divorced from a 19-year relationship, a single mom to 3 kids. My plan was to be alone. I was not ready for dating. Well, life doesn’t always go according to plan. My unexpectedly crossed paths with Cory. I found love I never knew existed, a connection that goes far beyond this lifetime. A love so deep, no words on earth can describe the magnitude of its existence.”

‘When he needs me, he can reach out that cute little hand and mine will be right there, ready for him. Steady for him.’: Special needs mom shares ode to brave son with extra chromosome, ‘I hold his hands, but he holds my heart’
“Every step he takes is a mountain climbed, every word he signs or says is a dream realized, every milestone met, a prayer answered. He is the bravest person I know.”

‘Would you be open to picking up a 2-day-old baby girl?’ I’ll never forget my husband’s response. ‘I think this is the baby we’ve been praying for.’: Pregnant mom opens heart to fostering, adopts after ‘humbling’ 798 days
“If you asked me if I’d care for a newborn while 30 weeks pregnant, I’d have thought you were crazy. I’d sit at night, feeding our foster daughter while feeling our little girl wiggling around in my belly. We’d been praying for her years before she was even born.”

‘Dad and I are still friends.’ It was absolutely gut-wrenching. We were determined to beat the statistics. We could still be great parents together.’: Mom shares co-parenting journey, ‘We’re one family, full of love’
“I was devastated at the thought of being just another set of young parents who couldn’t make it work. We were still raising a child together. Four adults opened their hearts to ensure this little boy never felt like he was missing out.”

‘Just wait until he sees you in the hospital. He’ll definitely run.’ I never thought he’d love me back. He held my hand and took care of me.’: Liver transplant recipient shares powerful love story
“As I stood in front of him, he said my scars showed my strength. I couldn’t believe it. For so long, I’d let my illness make me feel like I deserved less. I realized I could do anything with him by my side.”

‘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’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.’”