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 thought I just had a ‘strong’ pregnancy. ‘You don’t think it’s TWINS, do you?’ Sure enough, we saw two of the most beautiful heartbeats.’: Couple battling infertility welcome twins, ‘It’s a dream come true’
“My husband said, ‘At the end of the day, when we’re looking back on our life, we want to know we did everything we could.’ Two months later, we began IVF. I heard the words I’d prayed over for a long, long time.”
‘Are you ready to meet your son?’ she asked with a big smile. 2 days earlier, I didn’t even know he existed. There was no turning back.’: Couple shares beautiful adoption journey
“We got a call from our caseworker. ’Can you be in Georgia tomorrow?’ I answered ‘YES’ without a second of hesitation. My husband silently mouthed to me, ‘Are you nuts?’ I knew. My heart was pounding, but I knew.”
‘Can you quit drinking to support me?’ It felt so unfair. Why should I give up drinking when HE was the alcoholic?’: Mom celebrates 5 years sober, ‘I’m truly proud of the person I am today’
“I honestly had to think about it. I was devastated at the thought of divorce but the thought of a life without alcohol seemed unbearable.”
‘What if I can’t help people learn Kit’s song? Do I know his song? Does he?’ Then it dawned on me. I’m not the composer of his masterpiece. He is.’: Mom to son with autism says ‘his world is beautiful’
“No parent chooses their kids’ song. Kids aren’t like a jukebox. As long as we can find music our children love, we must be doing something right.”
‘It’s ironic how a bag of poo attached to my stomach could change my whole perspective on life.’: Chronic illness warrior overcomes anorexia, advocates for disabilities, ‘I’m finally comfortable in my skin’
“Wanting to be normal came at a price. Now, when I look in the mirror, I don’t cry anymore.”
‘My visa was denied.’ I never thought I’d be a single parent with a partner on the other side of the world.’: Solo mom raises son alone during lockdown, ‘I have hope we’ll be together again’
“Two days before flying back to America, I found out I was pregnant. I sat in the bathroom and sobbed. I wanted his comfort during pregnancy and birth. The thought of doing it alone was overwhelming.”
‘Will you marry me?’ It was the easiest YES I’ve ever said. We daydreamed about adoption until suddenly, it wasn’t a daydream anymore.’: Lesbian couple share emotional love, adoption story
“There wasn’t enough representation of lesbians adopting through foster care. It’s hard to find stories like ours.”
‘The priority is saving your life.’ 5 days before surgery, I heard the words I’d always dreamed: ‘You’re pregnant.’: Ovarian cancer survivor welcomes miracle baby
“Within a week, my stomach grew to appear 5 months pregnant. My entire abdomen was infected with small tumors. ‘You need a full hysterectomy.’ My biggest dream was to have kids. But there I was, 5 days before surgery, hearing the words, ‘You’re pregnant.’”
‘I don’t feel like myself.’ I attempted to be the perfect mom. I couldn’t let myself cage.’: Mom bravely shares journey with anxiety and panic disorder, ‘I don’t have to hide anymore’
“My stomach sank in fear. ‘What if something is really wrong?’ The room was spinning. My house became my safe space. What if I never felt like my true self again? I couldn’t stay home forever.”
‘When are they going to find out?’ For years, I worried about fitting in. I just wanted to be ‘normal.’: Woman with Type 1 Diabetes says ‘being different is the only thing we all have in common’
“I noticed I was different than my friends. I asked myself, ‘What is normal?’ They could eat when they wanted and didn’t need to prick their finger three times a day.”