“Empty-eyed, my husband wheeled a grey bassinet into the room. ‘I’m sorry. So, so sorry.’ I’d spent the last 2 years teaching women how to birth babies, yet I couldn’t. Elvis was cold in my arms, but so beautiful. I swore I saw his little chest rise and heard a little grunt, but my mind played tricks on me. I held him as the last pulses of energy left his little body.”

‘3…2…1.’ Darkness. I awoke to women in overalls. ‘Do you know where you are Mrs. Knowles? Elvis didn’t make it. Would you like to see him?’ I just wept and nodded.’: Mom to angel baby details journey, ‘Grief is love with nowhere to go’

‘You’re just a dramatic teenager.’ I was brushed off and swept aside. Then I swallowed a bottle of Advil.’: Woman overcomes eating disorder and anxiety, ‘I use my suffering to grow’
“I set a goal to get ‘skinny’ for graduation. I was starving myself, but if anyone mentioned it, I’d become outraged. In my eyes, I was ‘finally taking care of myself’ and anyone who thought differently was just trying to tear me down.”

‘Let’s build it by hand!’ I didn’t know if we could do it. Now, I wouldn’t trade it for the world.’: Couple converts shuttle bus into ‘home on wheels,’ ‘It was built with so much love’
“Growing up, I heard adults hint, ‘Travel while you are young!’ We looked at plane tickets, but a week later, our flight was canceled. We agreed we needed a firm foundation to build on.”

‘We weren’t happy. I turned to him and said, ‘Do you just want to live in a van?’ Nothing’s EVER been the same.’: Couple takes on tiny-living in van, ‘We can conquer ANYTHING’
“Nothing went smoothly. If there was ever a roadblock for us to run into, we hit every single one during each project. The strength of our relationship is built into every bit of wood, every nail, and screw, within our tiny home.”

‘We’ve been robbed. All our stuff is gone.’ This only cemented it for us. Material possessions AREN’T important.’: Couple ‘hit the road’ in van, ‘It’s been the ride of a lifetime’
“We threw the idea around for a few weeks. ’It’s always been my dream to leave it all behind.’ I mean, we had just met. That would be crazy, right? But we did it. We bought a VAN!”

‘She bawled, ‘It’s always been just you and me.’ She fell in love with her brother the second she saw him.’: Woman adopts at 50 years old, ‘My heart was ready’
“A young woman had recently found out she was expecting. She wanted to meet me. ‘Do you know how old I am?’ God has a real sense of humor!”

‘My baby is supposed to be with you.’ I thought it was a scam. She had every right to keep him.’: Couple battling infertility pursue open adoption, ‘It’s been so beautiful’
“I told my husband, ‘I’m almost out of hope.’ Then an expectant mother reached out to us. It didn’t seem real. I should have felt relief and joy, but what if she changed her mind?”

‘Someone WILL get COVID-19 in your school.’ My heart ached as they put their masks on. It isn’t supposed to be this way.’: Preschool teacher shares experience during pandemic
“It’s not supposed to be this way. I started teaching 15 years ago. Never did I think I’d be navigating teaching during a pandemic. Children who have been home for months are now going to be in my classroom. I honestly can’t believe it’s come to this.”

“My cancer is back.’ Then came the next bombshell. My entire family was dead before I turned 30.’: Daughter grieves loss of parents, ‘Running from grief isn’t the solution’
“I found out Mom was going to die. As I walked away from the hospice, I knew my life had changed. After her death, I had to foster a new relationship with my dad. Then came another bombshell. My entire family was dead before I turned 30.”

‘My cheek was swollen. The doctor said, ‘I’ve never seen anything like this before. Your life expectancy is 6 years old.’: Woman gets Facial Infiltrating Lipomatosis diagnosis after 22-year battle
“We were told, ‘The swelling must be from the position she slept in. It’s nothing. It will go away soon.’ Weeks went by, but nothing changed. When puberty hit, my face was growing faster than I was. I had unexplainable headaches and nosebleeds. I was sleeping all day long. Everywhere I went, I got stares, whispers, and pointing fingers.”