“I burst into tears. ‘What’s wrong?!’ They were so confused. They didn’t know any different than the life they were living. Seeing these children happy inspires me to show more gratitude.”
‘I’d LOSE MY HEAD and blow up at the smallest situation. Visiting the kids left me feeling blessed to be ALIVE.’: Man seeks help for mental health, starts charity journey
‘I think she has some fractures.’ Nobody knew what was wrong with me. The pain was EVERYWHERE.’: Chronic illness warrior fights to ‘stay positive’
“All my problems, physical and mental, changed me. I get more medical visits than visits from my friends. But I still need to see the positives in life.”
‘It’s ironic how a bag of poo attached to my stomach could change my whole perspective on life.’: Chronic illness warrior overcomes anorexia, advocates for disabilities, ‘I’m finally comfortable in my skin’
“Wanting to be normal came at a price. Now, when I look in the mirror, I don’t cry anymore.”
‘I don’t feel like myself.’ I attempted to be the perfect mom. I couldn’t let myself cage.’: Mom bravely shares journey with anxiety and panic disorder, ‘I don’t have to hide anymore’
“My stomach sank in fear. ‘What if something is really wrong?’ The room was spinning. My house became my safe space. What if I never felt like my true self again? I couldn’t stay home forever.”
‘When are they going to find out?’ For years, I worried about fitting in. I just wanted to be ‘normal.’: Woman with Type 1 Diabetes says ‘being different is the only thing we all have in common’
“I noticed I was different than my friends. I asked myself, ‘What is normal?’ They could eat when they wanted and didn’t need to prick their finger three times a day.”
‘The first 8 years of being a parent were rough. ‘It’s the after-baby blues. They’ll go away.’ I felt like a failure.’: Mom shares journey with postpartum depression, ‘The NOW is where I’m content’
“I hated watching my husband sleep when I was exhausted. I felt such emptiness. I was told, ’It’ll get better when you get out of the house more.’ I always responded, ‘Yeah, you’re probably right. But I knew it wasn’t the case. I was depressed again.”
‘What if someone calls you FAT again?’ That word held so much pain. I associated my worth with what my body looked like.’: Woman shares journey healing from eating disorder, ‘It’s worth the messiness’
“At 13, I started dieting and exercising compulsively. It became an obsession. I hung up pictures of bodies I wanted mine to look like in front of our treadmill. It can be gruesome to think of food, something you need to survive, as an enemy.”
‘Sell your body, since you dress like a prostitute.’ I found my belongings on the driveway. At 17 I was FINALLY seen as a blessing.’: Adult adoptee shares foster journey, ‘I was ALWAYS their daughter’
“‘Sorry I ruined your birthday,’ I said. ‘No, you’re one of the best gifts I could ever receive!’ Her words instilled confidence in me, but her actions spoke even louder.”
‘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 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.”
