“‘She looks like she has Down syndrome.’ I quickly brushed it off and told him he was overreacting. Then the pediatrician came in.”
‘My world FROZE. ‘I’ll never get to do the things I want with her.’ Am I even cut out for this?’: New mom births ‘perfect’ baby girl with Down syndrome, ‘She is our angel’
‘What’s something you REALLY need?’ I heard horror stories. I wanted to help them build a BETTER life.’: Man starts nonprofit to help homeless, ‘Our goal is HOPE’
“Daniel put his head in his hands and began to cry. ‘Someone stole ALL of my belongings.’ He didn’t even have a shirt. A light bulb lit up in my head.”
‘Are you constantly aware of your heartbeat?’ I was confused. Couldn’t everyone feel their heartbeat all the time?.’: Woman overcomes two open-heart surgeries
“I vividly remember putting my signature on a piece of paper that said, ‘Side effects: stroke and death.’ I turned to my family and said, ‘I’ve just signed my life away.'”
‘As I was getting ready to terminate my foster license, I got the call: ‘Do you remember Hector?’ My eyes widened. 3 days later he walked into my life, forever.’: Single dad adopts son with autism after emotional journey
“‘This is it! We’re going to be a forever family!’ Hector ran towards me and jumped in my arms. He hugged me and squeezed me tight as he said, ‘I love you so much, I love you so, so much.’ There he was, the one I had cried, prayed, and hoped for.”
‘You’re newly pregnant and this little girl is a lot of work. If you need us to find her a new home, it’s okay.’ I didn’t want an ‘easier’ kid. I wanted her.’: Foster mom shares special needs adoption
“The social worker said, ‘This is the largest file I have.’ So much was going on. There was an intense amount of outer, anger, and lies. It broke me she was legally an orphan.”
‘I recorded a video for my daughter in case I didn’t make it. ‘Mommy loves you more than life itself.’ It was suffocating.’: Mom undergoes second open-heart surgery, ‘Every day, I wake up grateful’
“I walked to my car, sobbing. This wasn’t the news I had expected. Suddenly, every scenario of my daughter growing up without a mom went flashing through my mind.”
‘My stepdaughter took a shirt from my hands. ‘This is how my mom does it.’ It felt like a harsh slap back to reality.’: Stepmom shares journey blending families, ‘I love them all equally’
“I didn’t know who I was to them. ‘One day, I’ll have my own.’ I built up so many expectations of this little baby. I’d never feel like I didn’t belong in my family again.”
‘They die early. They don’t even live long.’ Why couldn’t my peers treat PEOPLE like PEOPLE? I decided to help.’: Woman advocates for those with Down syndrome, ‘I want their voices to be heard’
“‘You have a lot of nerve and patience to spend all your time with them.’ I’m LUCKY to be surrounded by all of this love.”
‘I’m afraid your dad isn’t going to make it.’ I had to come up with $45,000, in the middle of a pandemic.’: Daughter dresses as Disney princesses to give dying father second chance at life
“Every girl thinks their dad is the best one in the world. I’m not exaggerating when I say, I won the father lottery. Now, it was my time to give back. ‘I’m going to save him!’ This was bigger than my pride, bigger than anything in the world.”
‘I’ve lived a selfish life. I want to do something meaningful.’ It became my passion to help someone else create their family.’: Woman shares surrogacy journey
“I struggled with bleeding. ‘Do you want to continue?’ I hadn’t expected this, but it wasn’t going to deter me. I was ready to try again.”