“Even in our darkest hours, we find joy. Jaxlee’s smile can light up a room. She shines with joy but also resilience. She has weathered SO much.”
‘She is probably tired.’ There was no movement. I found a glimmer of hope. I’d be with her every minute I could.’: Daughter born with Cerebral Palsy, ‘Her strength is inspiring’
‘It’s just growing pains, don’t worry about it!’ I couldn’t even walk. I was terrified. I HAD to speak up for myself.’: Young chronic illness warrior details road to diagnosis, ‘I took on this journey with a smile’
“My cardiologist told me, ‘It’s all in your head.’ She was mad I couldn’t even stand for an assessment. I tried to push through. How could she say what I was going through wasn’t real?”
‘I was called a ‘big-nosed Jew.’ I NEEDED to fit in. When I got my diagnosis, I was in denial. My disability was the first thing people saw.’: Woman with muscular dystrophy finds self-acceptance, ‘I’m unapologetically me’
“I changed my name and perfected my accent. No one knew about my past. I exercised, dieted, tanned, toned, concealed, and accentuated—all for attention. Then I noticed muscle weakness. At that moment, I knew.”
‘The doctor said, ‘Something is brewing, but I just can’t put my finger on it.’ I went from a ‘migraine’ to blacking out for two months.’: Teen battling chronic illness urges ‘let the worst inspire the good’
“I spiked a 108-degree fever. I was stripped naked, covered with cold cloths, and had fans blasting my body. Soon after, I went psychotic. Nothing I said made sense, and everything had a twisted meaning. HGTV sent me into full-blown panic.”
‘The doctor said, ‘If you buy a toaster and it’s smashed, you know it won’t work.’ We were SPEECHLESS. We had to find a new ‘normal.’: Daughter born with Microcephaly, ‘She’s made AMAZING progress’
“‘We witnessed a little girl in a purple wheelchair being shaken and yelled at.’ That little girl was Melissa. Sometimes life leads you in the right direction at the right time.”
‘There’s a tumor around your spine.’ I was SO scared. ‘Have you tried wheelchair basketball? I was afraid to mess up.’: Wheelchair athlete inspires others, ‘I’m driven to be the best’
“I struggled to move my legs and had a persistent cough. ‘It’s her spine.’ I adapted in different ways to find my path.”
‘She won’t live. It’s VERY severe.’ Tumors were everywhere. Only 70 people in the WORLD have what I have.’: Woman with Juvenile Hyaline Fibromatosis shares journey, ‘Teach your kids not to fear differences’
“Kids spread rumors, saying ‘You smell bad!’ They told others not to talk to me. My teacher said, ‘You’ll never graduate anyway. What’s the point?’”
‘Amputate my legs?! Never in my life.’ I defied the doctor’s advice until my body BEGGED me to stop. I can either feel sorry for myself or get to the other side with pride.’: Woman born with spina bifida amputates both legs, ‘Life has no guarantees’
“‘Who would want a girl without legs?’ I wasn’t ready. Thus started a whole new phase of my life. I had to make the best out of what I’ve been through.”
‘They’re stripping me of ANOTHER body part?’ I was only 16. ‘I’m sorry, your tumor didn’t shrink, at all.’: Multiple cancer survivor with TP53 gene becomes advocate, ‘I choose to not let fear control me’
“’We need to amputate.’ I’d never be able to play sports again, I’d never walk again, I probably wouldn’t go to college or get married. Everything I planned for suddenly came crashing down on me.”
‘Drag me to the kitchen!’ I did what any self-respecting millennial would. I Googled ‘gunshot wound first aid.’: Man survives home invasion attack, ‘I’d choose a wheelchair over a hearse any day’
“I heard a loud bang. My legs dropped out from underneath me. My last memory was being placed in a helicopter.”
