“I didn’t want to burden anyone with ‘ridiculous and frivolous drama.’ I knew hurting myself was wrong, and I was scared of getting in trouble. And the biggest reason I held it in: I was terrified of rejection.”
‘When I was 16, I scribbled, ‘I’m sorry, please don’t hate me. Goodbye,’ on a piece of paper. I said a prayer that ‘If I was supposed to stick around, send me a sign.’ Just then, my computer beeped with a message from a good friend.’
‘I think this is something viral.’ 3 days later, her dad carried her like a limp, broken doll into our office.’: Doctor shocked by patient with ‘rare polio-like’ disease, ‘Viruses are everywhere’
“She screamed in pain whenever her head was turned. Her neck was stiff, rigid. The ER doctor called me. I nearly spit out my drink. ‘What?!’ This was almost a myth. What in the world was it doing in my office—heck, in my city?”
Woman Battles Breast Cancer After Doctor Claims She Doesn’t Need Routine Mammogram
“That split-second decision and that appointment Halloween day would soon change the course of our lives forever.”
‘She looked at me and said, ‘Mommy I heard you crying. Are you ok?’ ‘The baby is in heaven now.’: Family strives to overcome pregnancy loss
“We said our final goodbyes by attending a shared burial. Our baby, along with 30 or so others, were buried all together in a beautiful little white casket. At the end of the service, each family had a chance to spend a few moments with all the babies in the casket. My husband, the girls and I all walked hand-in-hand slowly up front.”
‘I had everything: 2 healthy boys, a brand new baby girl, a husband, a room full of baby gifts. I was unbelievably grateful. I was unbelievably satisfied. But I wasn’t happy.’
“’Maybe this is just what it’s like to have three kids,’ I thought. I cried alone. I pushed my friends away. I couldn’t connect with my kids.”
‘A mom and her son who were strangers to me walked up where I was waiting for Sam to finish tutoring. I went over to them, and peeked in the windows.’
“I almost stayed in my van. I was so close, because staying where you are is the easy choice isn’t it? But I heard a whisper, so I got out.”
‘It isn’t fair, she couldn’t take care of us.’ These were the words spoken by one of my kiddos as they broke down at the news their biological sister would be returned to their birth mom.
“‘Will she be back?’ My heart broke. ‘No, she won’t be.’ They all just sat there. The greatest tragedy was the fact my oldest 3 were getting used to losing people they loved.”
‘We surprised mom and dad with someone they love. She wasn’t looking at him, but she was smiling. She was giggling. And then it happened – she started humming.’
“We were beside ourselves with the happiness he was bringing her and how she was letting him, and all of us know, she knew he was there. She knew who he was. We soaked it in, knowing it all may be fleeting.”
‘He woke up in silence and called my name. It was his way of saying ‘goodbye.’ I made my way through the IV’s and monitors and laid next to him.’: Widow urges ‘cling fiercely’ to those moments they showed how much they loved you
“When he was admitted into the hospital, I wanted to be there in the middle of the night if he needed me. One night, he did.”
It would be 23 months of long, intensive research, intensive therapies 4 days a week, trial and error, and prayers before I heard my son finally say ‘mama.’
“We were told in the beginning that his autism was severe, he would never talk, and would likely be completely dependent on us for everything.”