“I am a nurse at a Portland area Hospital. I rely heavily on my family to watch my son while I work my 12-hour shifts. But I am also so much more. I am a single mother to a 9-year-old boy. I am a daughter to a mother who has had asthma her entire life. No more hugs, no more kisses. I am making a sacrifice.”
‘Instead of seeing my son and potentially giving it to him, so he can give it to my parents, I just won’t see any of them.’: Single nurse mom says ‘I am doing my part, and I am now asking you do yours’
‘This was the last photo I took of Finn in a school. It’s all gone. His body language is an obvious expression that he did NOT want to be pulled away.’: Mom of son with heart disease says ‘you can’t have a lifestyle without LIFE’
“His teacher means the WORLD to him, the world. We had big plans for May 28th. Finn’s graduation from preschool and an adorable spring program that was planned. It’s all gone. He will never get to complete preschool. We had our kids at this school for 6 whole years and with one announcement, gone.”
‘It wasn’t until I woke up that my wife and I both learned it was actually my 11-year-old son. It completely melted my heart!’: Nurse Dad says ‘the little things you are doing are so much bigger than you know’
“I got home from the hospital this morning with my basement couch/bed made and towels laid out and ready for my post COVID hot shower. It made my heart happy as I thought about the little things my wife is doing during her own isolation at home to make my life easier after a long night.”
‘I get to the door and there is my eldest son, arms crossed, blocking entry. ‘Mask, Mom!’ I am high risk, and one blessed mama.’: High-risk woman battling myasthenia gravis urges ‘this is not just a little sickness bug’
“Ricky taps my hand if I try to touch something. THEN, this child pulls out the sanitizer and sprays my hands with it. He waits until I rub it in correctly and looks at me through the corner of his eye to make sure I don’t touch anything again. Ricky knows I am one of the ones who would most certainly die. He has been in the hospital with me more times than I can count.”
‘Mommy, kids were yelling and happy, but I’m scared.’ She tearfully told me students poured into the hallways after dismissal. I choked back sobs.’: Mom says ‘if we are engaged, we can teach our kids coping skills and resiliency’
“I knew my husband was there to get her but I was too far away in that moment. I know that panic because I’ve had it too. These are the generations that were born and raised post 9-11. They are a generation that grew up practicing active shooter drills at school. Yet they kept going to school. Until now.”
‘Knee deep in trying to calm my son, a lady placed her hand on me and whispered in my ear. I could feel the tears coming.’: Mom of Autistic child says ‘if you see a child in a meltdown, don’t stare’
“You would do anything in your power to help your child. Even if that means lying on the floor in the middle of a shopping center with him. That can cause some funny looks. Some funny comments. This day was no different. She nodded, she smiled, and she walked off again. In that moment, I could feel the tears coming.”
‘You shouldn’t own a nice truck like that if you’re asking for help with medical funds.’ They don’t know about the 8 appointments a week.’: Mom to two medically complex children says ‘we are not going to stop our lives’
“Sophia often passes out. Her lips turn pure white and she vomits for 30 minutes. She injures herself, others, and pets. Her brother performs injurious behaviors too. It is a daily struggle with feelings being hurt and many tears shed. Everyone always says, ‘I don’t know how you do it.’ It’s simple. I do it because it’s what is best for Sophia and Grason. We are not going to stop our lives.”
‘I’ve wanted to be adopted all the time I’ve been in foster care. This is the best day of my life!’ I squeezed his hand. ‘It’s the best day of mine, too.’: Single dad adopts boy from foster care, ‘Love defines our family’
“I woke him early for the hour-long drive to the courthouse. He sat up at once, grabbing me in a tight hug, gushing, ‘Today’s the day!’ I know him well enough to note the look on his face, the slight undertone to his voice – he’s been in the system too long to believe in adoption until it occurs. The layers of trauma are thick, some abuse and tons of neglect. As the judge read out the declaration, I felt choked with emotion.”
‘I calmly asked my son, ‘Do you feel safe?’ When he said he didn’t, I pulled the car over and held him.’: After meltdown mom says ‘we hope parents will know they aren’t alone’
“Nothing readies you for when your 8 year old has completely lost control; for when his behavior disorders become so powerful his brain is no longer acting as a part of his body but has now waged war on it. But today–thank God, today–I kept it together.”
‘I hopped in the driver’s seat instead of letting him drive. I gently pressed the gas pedal, no one in sight. Then everything went…silent.’: After car accident with son, mom says ‘don’t let the ‘wrappers’ in life get in the way’
“We jumped in the car to run some evening errands. ‘Stay there. We are sending help,’ she said urgently. The thing that defined our relationship was snack wrappers. It’s embarrassing to admit how much of our daily interaction revolved around me telling him to, ‘pick them up!’ It is always the unimportant decisions that change lives.”
