“After weeks of grieving, we said ‘screw it.’ We decided we were 100% going to up and move our entire lives to a new city 7 hours away.”
‘You’re so strong…’ 3 little words I often hear as a parent to a very special girl.’ I don’t want to be, but here I am, giving the middle finger to her diagnoses.’: First-time mom shares special needs journey
‘The smallest human you’ve ever seen holds strength mountains high. From their very first breath, they decided giving up wasn’t an option.’: Mom pens touching letter to micro preemie parents
“The NICU is not for the weak. It’s an experience handed out to only the strongest of people.”
We Need To End The Toxic Milestone Mentality— Here’s Why
“When you’re 35 and have never been married and don’t have kids, you have a lot to explain to society.”
‘I told a woman at the gym my son got into college. She replied, ‘Don’t celebrate too openly, other families may still be waiting.’: Special needs mom explains importance of celebrating milestones, ‘Let us have this’
“I felt a flicker of rage so strong I had to look down at my hands for a moment.”
‘Whatever it is, we can fix it.’ She was exceeding milestones, then she started regressing.’: Parents pass law to save others after losing daughter to Krabbe disease
“Justin asked, ‘Is she okay?’ They said, ‘Yes, she is perfect!’ We heard a knock on the door. Our world shattered. I prayed they’d find a cure.”
‘I used to grab him every morning at 5 a.m. when he’d cry out for me. Then, one day, he didn’t need my snuggles anymore. I didn’t know the last time would be the last time.’: Mom reminds us ‘savor the difficult moments, before they slip away’
“I’d spend hours just breathing him in. Watching the rise and fall of his chest. Kissing his forehead and snuggling his sweet little body. Still, I longed for sleep. Then, without warning, it all quickly slipped away. He didn’t need my snuggles anymore.I didn’t know the last time would be the last time.”
‘I started to compare her to the other two and blame myself. Somehow, I was responsible.’: Mom talks importance of not comparing your children to others
“I did my best to breastfeed, and I gave them formula. I did my best to socialize them and teach them, and I let them watch TV and play on their iPads. By my third, I stopped caring.”
‘Is he walking yet?’ I got defensive. I gave a long-winded response, explaining everything else he was doing as if it were an issue.’: Mom urges ‘don’t rush milestones’
“He is 12 months old and still not walking. Why is it we want to rush the milestones instead of embracing them being babies for just a little bit longer?”
‘Could you be pregnant?’ I mean yeah, I guess I could be, but I’m pretty sure I’m not. I decided to put ‘Yes’ for the answer.’: Woman gets surprise pregnancy news at dentist
“‘I need you to go take this test to make sure. If you are pregnant, we can’t do the x-rays.’ I thought this was crazy, went into the bathroom, and pee’d on the stick. She grabbed it, looked at me, and called for another lady to come look. The other lady looked at me. ‘Yeah, we aren’t doing the appointment.’ I walked out, called my boyfriend and told him they wouldn’t finish my appointment. He was confused.”
‘It’ll go away in its own, don’t worry.’ She had abnormal, starry blue eyes. I knew they had failed us.’: Woman gives birth to baby with Williams Syndrome
“We weren’t leaving this place without a diagnosis. ‘Don’t jump to any conclusions.’ She had a heart murmur and a low birth weight, but they still gave her the okay to go home. Little did we know our lives would soon change forever.”
