“’Goodnight. LOVE YOU.’ A faint ‘love you’ left my mom’s lips back to me.”
‘Goodnight, Mom. I love you.’: Woman recounts heartbreaking loss of mother, ‘We celebrated her life’
‘Dear Santa, I want a kidney for my brother.’ My eyes filled with tears. Her letter to Santa meant everything to her.’: Woman details granddaughter’s Christmas wish, ‘I believe in miracles’
“At the store, Tegan spotted a man who looked like Santa. She reminded him she sent him a letter asking for a kidney for her little brother. ‘Thank you for making my wish come true.’ It appeared Santa was about to cry.”
‘My long-lost sister called. ‘I’m alone. I need you to come pick me up.’ We’d been separated for years.’: 25-year-old becomes legal guardian for brother and sister after family separation, abuse
“My brother and sister had over 10 cavities, poor hygiene, and had been physically and mentally abused. I tucked them into bed. ‘You’re finally safe with me,’ I cried. I went from being responsible for one puppy to being the sole provider of my long-lost, 13-year-old twin siblings by night.”
‘I think it’s happening again.’ I tried to bury my fears, but couldn’t deny it. Lightning had struck twice.’: Sisters diagnosed with ‘ultra rare’ infantile spasms, ‘They share a deep connection’
“We were sent home with shattered dreams and heavy hearts. They didn’t make eye contact and ate through a tube. Doctors told us we’d have to wait for science to catch up. Their ‘Good luck’ as we walked out the door felt like a kick in the gut.”
To My Friend Who Would Rather Not Do Christmas This Holiday Season—I See You
“It’s okay if it all feels like too much. It’s okay if you are ready for it all to be over. I may not know what it’s like to walk in your shoes, but you are not alone.”
‘The doctor pulled her aside. ‘If you don’t take her in, she will go to a group home, and she will die.’ Diagnosed with AIDS, my organs were shutting down. I was 2 years past my death date.’: HIV warrior adopted by sister’s boss after life-long abuse
“CPS told my parents, ‘You cannot drop your kid off at a group home and not come back. If you don’t get her, you will be charged with abuse and neglect.’ My parents didn’t budge. At 14, I was given two weeks to find a new place to live. All I wanted was to be wanted. ‘I believe in you, I love you, you are worth it.’ My sister’s boss took me in.”
‘You need to get away. You need a BREAK.’ So what did I do? YUP, I called my sister. Who else would do this for me?’: Woman writes story praising ‘superstar’ late sister, ‘She was my rock’
“She called from the hospital to let me know she would try to be well enough to make that trip down here. She had COVID. She helped in every way possible for me to navigate widowhood. She was on the ventilator eight days. The one I leaned on my whole life.”
‘OMG! It’s not working. Give him one more dose. ANOTHER.’ Everything went downhill, and FAST.’: Woman recounts heartbreaking and unexpected loss of father, ‘I wouldn’t wish this pain on anyone’
“All day I kept having a weird feeling—like maybe I should call and ask him, ‘How are you?’ I just put it off as something else. The hospital assured us he was fine. I just shut down. I can’t explain it, but this switch in me just turned off. I don’t remember much after.”
‘They will fight and argue, but they are forever protectors. Their specific hearts needed one another, and God knew it before I did.’: Mom cherishes sacred bond between siblings
“I planned the age separation between my two kids. I imagined their genders, I played out scenarios. I planned my pregnancy and c-section. And in true God fashion, all MY plans got tossed to the wayside. At the time it felt cruel. Now I know, God’s timing was, and is, perfect.”
‘Your sister passed away.’ In a matter of years, I lost half my immediate family. This grief is not linear.’: Woman pens moving grief journey, ‘I live every day with authenticity’
“My cousin showed up at my house. Though her voice was calm when she arrived, I knew in that moment my sister was gone. Her death would be under investigation. She’d been struggling for months.”
