“She saw him and said, ‘’My grandson has it, too.’ What? I was in denial.”
‘The doctor said, ‘Do you know what this might mean?’ I felt CHEATED. ‘There’s NOTHING wrong with him!’ I had to ‘fix it.’: Mom of autistic son navigates challenges, ‘I embrace him for who he is’
‘My child’s teacher tossed a grenade into my well-manicured world. ‘Stella reminds me of a girl I used to teach.’ Once I saw the images, I knew.’: Mom advocates for daughter with Williams Syndrome
“As I walked to my car, I couldn’t type those words into the search bar fast enough. Williams Syndrome. I was completely blindsided. That’s when I left the old version of me.”
‘You won’t make it through the night.’ I was scared to close my eyes. ‘FIGHT HARDER!’ I told myself.’: Two-time cancer survivor becomes model, ‘I was determined to get ME back’
“I told myself, ‘It’s just 8 hours, you got this. You feel no pain!’ I was pumped with meds but NOTHING was working. Seeing the look on my parents’ faces, I knew I couldn’t give up.”
‘Your baby LOOKS sick.’ His lips were blue and he’d lost 4 pounds. We hadn’t realized he was slowly fading.’: Baby diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, ‘His diagnosis doesn’t define him’
“He’d been nursing nonstop and drinking large amounts of water. He woke up soaked. ‘His hands and feet are freezing.’ It was 75 degrees outside. His body was attacking itself.”
‘You don’t even like kids.’ But there they were, two pink lines. I laughed. There was no way I could raise a girl.’: New mom shares reality of motherhood, ‘It’s okay not to love every second’
“It wasn’t that I didn’t like kids. It’s just I never felt motherly enough. I was still selfishly self-absorbed. ’Maybe my career is my main focus.’ It’s funny how things change, isn’t it? She changed me.”
‘Was her due date correct? Something’s off.’ The cord was wrapped around her neck 5 times. She was completely red.’: Mom births baby with Williams Syndrome, ‘There’s no shortage of love’
“I helplessly lay there, shivering as alarms were sounded and ‘Code Blue’ was called. The world started to go black around me. All I could hear was, ‘Heart problems, elfin appearance, intellectual disability, love of music.’ She was so, so small.”
‘You’ll need a transplant. There’s no telling how soon.’ My skin turned yellow and I had NO energy. I was running out of time!’: Woman receives liver donated by mom, ‘I wear my scars proudly’
“I watched myself fade away, becoming sicker every week. It felt like I waited FOREVER for the perfect match. I had scabs everywhere. My kids grappled to understand what was happening to their mommy.”
‘It’ll be difficult for you to get pregnant.’ I gave him an out. ‘No way, let’s adopt!’ There was no doubt in my mind.’: Couple moves to Africa to adopt daughter, ‘We’re exactly where we need to be’
“We picked up the phone. ‘There’s a 17-month-old girl.’ We felt like we were racing time. Then COVID hit. We wouldn’t be able to take her home. ‘Why don’t WE go be a family with her?’ It seemed like a no-brainer.”
‘We noticed wobbling in his eyes. My denial turned to heartbreak. ‘I can’t believe I passed on my problems.’: Woman learns to embrace blindness in herself and son, ‘I can guide him through life’
“‘No kids would want a blind mom!’ My husband told me not to worry, we’d do things differently, and would solve problems as they came. I assumed being a mom and wife was unreachable. He taught me differently.”
‘Unfortunately, you weren’t accepted.’ Everyone made jokes about me. ‘It’s because she’s FAT.’ My heart dropped.’: Young woman shares self-love journey, ‘I am worthy’
“’I know why you didn’t get in. They told us.’ My heart sank. ‘They didn’t think you’d be able to do physical activity.’ I was the only one who didn’t. It opened my eyes.”