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.
‘When I held that precious bundle to my chest, I waited for that awe-filled moment. Instead, I felt relief.’: Mom after infertility says ‘motherhood is tough but so are you’
“We’re told, over and over again, to avoid accidental pregnancies. ‘It only takes one time!’ But for us, that wasn’t the case.”
‘The doctor entered the room, crying. ‘We found masses all over.’: Woman diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma wants to ‘change the way the world sees cancer’
“The oncologist described it as the ‘good cancer.’ Then in the same breath, he said I had 7 months to live. It didn’t seem very ‘good’ to me.”
‘Dad’s not waking up.’ I saw him lying in bed, blood coming from one nostril.’: Woman raises awareness for intergenerational trauma
“I went to grab his shoulders to shake him awake, but my hand touched something hard. It took a second for my eyes to make out what I was holding. It was the handgun.”
‘Look, the weird kid is back.’ They talked about him as if he was an exhibit at the zoo.’: Mom to son with Goldenhar syndrome says ‘we are more alike than we are different’
“They didn’t know in his first 2 months of life, he came close to death so many times. They didn’t see me standing outside his hospital room, frozen as the medical team performed chest compressions. They knew he was different. They just didn’t know why.”
‘The doctor would like to meet you in person.’ My legs shook uncontrollably. I knew.’: Woman ‘freshly diagnosed’ with thyroid cancer urges ‘love matters most of all’
“I sat in the doctor’s office and watched as each person passed me. I wondered who else might be awaiting life-altering news. I vowed no matter where life took me, it would never take me away from love.”
‘People will think you have cancer if you wear a headscarf.’ I lost half my hair in 3 months.’: Woman with alopecia embraces baldness
“There was hair on my pillow. I had to unclog the shower after each use. I’d be cooking and just see hair fall to the counter. I took the plunge.”
‘My husband asked, ‘Why are you crying?’ It was the first time I’d EVER heard every word to a movie.’: Woman with hearing loss advocates for early intervention
“I told her, ‘I want the biggest, most obnoxious-looking hearing aid possible.’ I was SO tired of telling people I was deaf.”
‘My daughter saw her father strangle me when she was 2. Now she sees her mom being loved.’: Blended family create ‘happy and healthy home’ after narcissistic abuse
“Divorce is sad, but what’s worse is a little girl growing up thinking it’s normal for her spouse to put their hands on her because it’s ‘what Daddy did to Mommy.’ Now, they see love.”
‘I noticed my right arm going numb. After a month, it spread to my whole body.’: Multiple Sclerosis warrior wins 2nd place at World’s Strongest Disabled Man
“I couldn’t work the same or train the same. I wasn’t ‘big Dave’ anymore! I couldn’t even be the same dad to my kids. I felt like I lost my sense of everything.”
‘Thanks for talking about this. I think I need help too.’ It hit me there were tons of others dealing with the same issues.’: Mental health warrior urges ‘stop the stigma’
“None of us had anyone else to relate to – until now.”