Emily Richey is a graduate of Pace University NYC. She has written and edited for multiple online platforms, including Love What Matters. She spends her free time petting stray cats.
‘I woke up with a tube down my throat. I couldn’t talk. On a piece of paper, I wrote, ‘I want my mom.’: Chronic illness warrior says ‘faith can do wonders’
“Halfway through my 12-hour shift, I began to feel very sick. ‘You need to sit down.’ I had a fever and my oxygen level was low. The next few weeks were a blur.”
‘He popped my hip out with a simple tap of his finger. I believed I’d always live in pain.’: Chronic illness warrior ‘thankful’ for journey
“The doctor came in. ‘How many broken bones do you think you have?’ Then he laughed and said, ‘You’re completely fine.’ I doubted my own body, thinking my pain was all in my head.”
‘The doctor ruled it ‘a terrible, chance accident.’ We were alone as a little trio, together in this grief.’: Surrogate for LGBTQ couple experiences loss, ‘I want their dreams to come true’
“A week before their flight, the worst happened. ‘How am I going to tell them?’ I didn’t feel him moving.”
‘3 days postpartum, I looked at my husband. ‘I want to throw our son.’: Mom says ‘even through the fog of depression, I am worthy’
“I had a massive panic attack while feeding him. His latch pierced me with pain. I had nightly terrors one or both of us were left dead on the hospital table. My doctor asked, ‘How are you doing?’ I just cried.”
‘I’m so sorry. I can’t do this anymore, Chelsea.’ I didn’t know it would be his last Father’s Day.’: Woman mourning father declares ‘to grieve is to have felt love’
“I waited until I heard my dad come home to sleep. I took off his shoes after he passed out on the couch and put my finger under his nose to check his breathing. I learned to love his scent—grass, sweat, and booze.”
‘They didn’t know if I’d ever wake up. The first thing I said was, ‘I can’t see. Everything is completely black.’: Woman navigates new normal with sight loss
“After my tonsils were removed, my mom woke me up to check on my throat and give me some water. I was completely unresponsive. They didn’t know if I’d be able to breathe, talk, walk, or think ever again.”
‘I woke up to my mom sobbing. ‘Your father passed away from drug abuse.’ A part of me knew it would happen.’: Woman dedicates life to healing others from ‘father wounds’
“I felt cheated from having a good father who’d watch me grow up, dance with me at my wedding. Father’s Day may be extremely hard to get through, but you’re complete with or without. You are enough.”
After Multiple Miscarriages, I Gave Birth To Three Miracle Triplets
“The doctor said, ‘Someone up there really is looking down on you. Someone up there really wants you to be a mom. There are THREE healthy heartbeats beating here.’ SORRY, WHAT?! That was the moment life changed forever.”
‘My entire life, I witnessed a person with disability have a joyful life. No matter what her life looked like, it’d be a good one.’: Mom births daughter with Down syndrome after advocating for uncle
“For almost 30 years, I watched my mom be an advocate. I heard the words, ‘Your baby will be born with Down syndrome.’ I knew my daughter would be okay.”
‘He died in his sleep. I HAD to take care of myself in order to take care of my kids.’: Widow creates ‘encouraging’ self-care subscription box for others battling grief
“It’s like when you’re flying on a plane and they tell you to put the oxygen mask on before assisting your child with theirs. I knew I couldn’t help my kids process their grief if I wasn’t dealing with my own.”