“My parents were told, ‘Only major reconstructive surgery will correct the anomalies.’ Because I spent most of my childhood in hospitals, I was playing catch up. My lack of confidence took its toll on me.”
‘Some days are harder than others.’ I get eyes darting at me as I’m walking down the street. It isn’t easy.’: Man with facial differences becomes motivational speaker, ‘It was worth all the pain’
‘There’s NO hope without amputation, preferably both legs.’ I was only 18. It broke me.’: Woman born with spina bifida loses both legs, ‘I’m still me, despite my differences’
“NEVER have I felt such unbearable pain. Something was wrong, but I did not know what. I had severe fever attacks, frostbite, and became bedridden. I see life now in a completely different way.”
‘I heard a loud SNAP. ‘You’ve snapped your ligaments off.’ My kneecap was siting on the side of my knee.’: Athlete experiences miracle healing after injury, ‘I have a new hunger for life’
“All that was keeping my kneecap together were some screws and pins. I LITERALLY pulled my cracked knee cap apart. I felt lost and alone. Most days, it felt like no one understood.”
‘The cute boy in the blue shirt was leaving the bar. ‘OMG, what do I do?!’ I pushed my friend out of the booth. ‘MOVE!’ I worked up the nerve to approach him.’: Woman urges ‘you only get one life’
“There I was, standing face-to-face with the guy I had awkwardly stared at for two hours, whom I thought had a girlfriend, and clearly never even SAW me. ‘Do you want my number?’ I was sure I’d never see him again.”
‘I didn’t want to say this over email, but we picked someone else for the job.’ After a year of rejections, I lost my sense of worth.’: Woman details company’s act of kindness after job rejection
“Out of the blue, a month later, I received an email from them: ‘We’d like to offer you a $150 stipend for your dedication.’ They thanked me for the time and effort I put into my application and interviews. I was floored.”
‘My boyfriend sprayed cologne in the air. I froze and stopped in my tracks. I went into an immediate panic attack and cried uncontrollably.’: Young woman shares tribute to late father, ‘Grief comes in waves’
“My day was too perfect, too good. I remember turning to my boyfriend and literally saying, ‘This day feels too good to be true, nothing has gone wrong.’ Boy, was I in for a wild ride. Overnight, I became a second mother to my siblings.”
‘Food was for ‘growing boys.’ I would take an empty lunch box to school so I looked like I fit in.’: Woman overcomes lifetime of eating disorders, ‘I love me for me’
“I was a talented singer, but because of my looks, I was never picked for the lead. I wasn’t the pretty leading lady in Mary Poppins – I was a chimney sweep. One year, I was asked to sing for the lead role but stand in the wings out of sight, while another person acted.”
‘I wanted pretty boobies, whatever that meant. I was ‘large’ and gravity became my enemy.’: Woman urges ‘do what you need to in this life’ after breast augmentation
“I couldn’t wear the cute sundresses like my girlfriends. I couldn’t wear sexy lingerie or bikinis…they just sagged. Yeah, I said it…sagged. I made a decision that I wanted to get a boob job. I wanted ‘pretty’ boobies, whatever that meant.”
‘I checked the mail to find a strange woman asking my husband for child support. 8 years into marriage, I found out he had another daughter the exact age as our 6-year-old.’: Woman with vitiligo shares incredible journey, ‘Never give up on your dreams’
“At 17, I got pregnant. Life completely changed. After discovering my husband’s double life, I went into the shower to find a white spot under my arm. I tried to scrub it off, but it wouldn’t move. Every time I checked, the spot was bigger and bigger. ‘Is it cancer? Is it contagious?’ I asked the doctor.’There’s no cure.’ As he pulled up pictures on his laptop, I began to cry. ‘I’m going to be a monster.’ Here I was, my marriage ending, horrified no one would ever want me again.”
‘I gasped for breath. ‘I…read…your texts!’ I could barely get the words out. I was hyperventilating.’: Women re-discovers herself after husband’s affair and ensuing divorce
“I saw the pictures and read the words, but my brain couldn’t understand. My arms were tingling. Alarm bells were ringing in my head. ‘What? Why was this woman, his assistant, texting this to him?’ I slumped to the bathroom floor, then shakily stood and made my way down the stairs, using the handrail to prop me up.”
