“Seconds later, the crowd was all standing. There was an eerie silence now. Someone said, ‘Well, someone go after him!’ I saw my mother rise up. ‘I AM GOING TO KILL HIM! Almost instantly, I shouted, ‘NO!’ My sister and my mother ran over, got on their knees, and held me.”
‘I just can’t do it.’ I was left at the altar. I caught him in a half-run and collapsed to the ground, sobbing.’: Woman left at altar on her wedding day
‘I love you. I’m sorry I can’t give you everything you want.’ My daughter sat on the bed, pouting. She was upset I wouldn’t take her to get a new toy. ‘Only because you won’t let me.’
“‘I love you enough to NOT give you everything you want.’ She rolled her eyes, clearly unwilling to accept this truth, and asked to be left alone. So, I walked away and closed the door behind me.”
‘Are you sure you’re pregnant? You hide it so well,’ they said while I was 8 months pregnant.’: Single mom says ‘no one thought my body could handle childbirth’
“‘Guess what? It’s happened!’ I threw the pregnancy test to my 19-year-old boyfriend. During labor, I had no support from my partner. ‘This isn’t how it’s supposed to be. This 100% was not the plan.’ I ended my relationship. ‘Might as well be a single mom, I basically am one anyway.’”
‘Do you remember your name?,’ one nurse asked. My mouth felt like I was chewing cotton balls. ‘What year is it?’I responded with a weak, soft voice as tears roll down my face.’
“‘Bye Mom! See you later!’ I gave her tight hug, and left on dad’s motorcycle. I was in heaven, having the best time of my life. I turned my head for half of a second, and saw a big bus approaching us. That is all I remember.”
‘WHAT IS THAT?’: Expecting couple surprised to find girl-to-be is actually a boy at birth
“We sat there and just LAUGHED. All the pain, weakness, and desperation of the hours leading up to his birth vanished.”
‘He was gasping, pale and sweaty. I held him down so the nurses could get close. They wouldn’t come near him. Something was wrong.’: Woman loses husband to ‘pain attack’ after machinery accident
“He was operating a piece of machinery, like he did every day. But today. September 13. The entire slab of concrete popped out of the ground and caught his toe, pulling his foot and leg under 3,000 pounds of concrete. I remember shouting his name in his face, telling him to look at me. To breath. His head rolled to me. He wasn’t there in his eyes. ‘Can I see him? I just want to know he’s ok.’ The nurse came out and threatened to call security.”
‘At 12 years old, symptoms began to manifest. I had joint pain in my knees and mouth sores on my gums. Food gave me belly aches. Aside from winter colds, I never was sick.’
“My parents were concerned. I had lost weight and they could see changes in me. I was 13 now, in the hospital to stabilize my 80-pound body. My parents were frustrated I followed ‘the rules.’ ‘If I thought the day of my diagnosis was life-shattering, this day would change the whole trajectory of how I lived my life.”
‘A little boy saw you and yelled, ‘You’re brown, you’re not supposed to be brown!’ My heart dropped to the floor. You had the most innocent look on your face.’
“The boy’s mom quickly said, ‘He is brown, but he’s beautiful.’ The little boy yelled again, ‘No, he’s not. He’s NOT beautiful, because he’s brown!’ In the moment, I couldn’t even open my mouth.”
‘At 12, my doctor told me I’d still have children, but never went into details. ‘Your doctors never cleaned out your abdomen in surgery.’ I was betrayed.’: Woman shocked by surprise pregnancy after childhood medical issues
“The receptionist sounded confused. ‘You already have an appointment scheduled for today. It’s your post-operation check. How did the surgery go?’ Chills went down my spine. I asked her to keep the appointment, but change it to ‘pregnancy confirmation.’ I can’t believe this.”
‘As painful as this picture is for me to see, it hurts even more this could become ANY ONE OF YOU. I know I’m a lucky one.’
“Why do I show you my face? Why do I show you my pain? Why do I reveal these heart-breaking scars? I’ll tell you why.”