“I was told her heart defect was so severe there was a likelihood she wouldn’t make it to full-term. If she did, she may not survive birth. And if she did, they wouldn’t be able to perform surgery due to the complexity of the defect.”
‘My longing for the birth I’d envisioned intensified. I felt empty at the thought of how it actually happened.’: Special needs mom candidly shares traumatic birth experience
Sometimes, I Don’t Want To Be The Mom
“Sometimes, I don’t want to worry about the drinks and the snacks and the sunscreen and the chairs and ‘Did you go potty?’ or ‘Make sure you bring a jacket!’ Sometimes I don’t want to make dinner. Again. Or load the dishes. Again. Sometimes, I’m not ‘cherishing every moment.’ I’m surviving.”
‘I’m concerned about BOTH girls.’ We assumed they were ‘happy and healthy’ babies. Our reality became a movie.’: Twins have HECW2 rare genetic disorder, ‘We’re equipped for what’s to come’
“We began to wonder if something was ‘not right.’ The moment she stopped breathing, I crumbled.”
‘Why suffer when there’s medication!’ I begged for help, no one heard.’: Widow suffers PTSD, finds herself, ‘I finally embraced the woman I once knew’’
“’I can’t do this anymore.’ I was stuck in molasses, unable to move forward. ‘PTSD? That’s for those in the army, or for major trauma.’ I was speechless.”
‘Your kids have had more screen time than ever. I need my crap together. I should be doing more.’: Mom struggling with pandemic parenting says ‘throw the shoulds out the window’
“Your wardrobe is pajamas and your greys are down to your ears. You can literally knock a human being out with your boobs swaying in the wind because bras just don’t fit into your daily wear. You’re exhausted. You aren’t on top of things. All you did today was nothing.”
‘If you send me home, I will die.’ The doctor looked me in the eyes. ‘We’re all going to die.’: Mental illness, chronic pain warrior finds peace through therapy, ‘I accept myself as I am’
“I’ve been in a car wreck I shouldn’t have walked away from. I’ve attempted suicide 3 times. I’ve come close to death often. ‘Why do I exist?’ Now I knew exactly why I’m here.”
‘I wanted to give them a message in Heaven.’ I unfolded the paper and read the note through a cloud of tears.’: Surviving triplet writes message to deceased siblings
“I was shamed for talking about my children who died. I was told to concentrate on the living child I have, not the two no longer physically in my arms. My 7-year-old sat next to me as I wiped away tears. I asked her about that special note, handwritten with so much love.”
‘You’ll never get out of this hole. Just go back to your old friend, heroin.’ I spent the night in jail, tying bedsheets around my neck.’: Man who battled addiction 9 years now owner of state’s largest recovery center
“I put the sheet around my neck and waited. I just couldn’t let go. I could hear the voices in my head saying, ‘You can’t even do this right.’ When I was released from prison, my family wouldn’t take me in. After too many broken promises, they were done with me. I owed $33,000 in child support and $100,000 for my crimes. ‘You’re going to be okay.’ My prisonmates saved my life. They took me in when I was too far gone.”
‘You’re going to do exactly what I tell you.’ He grabbed my throat. The devil was staring me in the face. Fear washed over my body.’: Young woman survives sexual assault in woods, ‘I refuse to hide. I need others to know they aren’t alone’
“A boat was pulling up, and two guys were inside. They said, ‘Who is this?’ I was confused. He was locking up his truck and his friends told him to hurry the hell up. He responded, ‘Hey at least I brought you guys some tail.’ My stomach sank, my heart started to race. I had recently been told I overreact…was this just an overreaction to a dumb joke? I went in the tent to grab a shirt because I was freezing. He followed me in and starting kissing me. My ‘no’ didn’t matter. I burst into tears. He looked at me with disgust. ‘I don’t like your attitude.’”
‘I chose to wear headphones. I didn’t want to hear or see Lily, afraid she would die. I kept my eyes affixed on my husband.’: Parents who lost twin daughter navigate marriage through tragedy, ‘We weren’t remotely prepared for what lay ahead’
“My husband encouraged me to look at my 1-pound daughter. If Lily died, we agreed to sell all our belongings and move to a beach in Hawaii, disappearing until we felt strong enough to return – but Pat knew Lily was strong enough to survive. I had intense, terrifying thoughts. This is not what we anticipated when we took our vows, but we faced each day together. We’ve come so far from stupid teenagers breaking curfew for 5 more minutes together, but if they could look ahead, I know they’d be pretty damn proud of us, too.”
