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.
‘You don’t look good.’ I woke up on the floor, inches away from a brain bleed. No one came for me.’: Teen diagnosed with POTS and Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, ‘My story isn’t over yet’
“I was losing weight and missing school a few days a week. I was in bed all week but when Friday rolled around, I insisted on going to the St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast. I barely remember the morning. We went on stage and just as the piano started, everything went black.”
‘Her neighbors found her on the side of the road. That’s when we knew. She wasn’t the same.’: Student becomes full-time caregiver for grandma with Alzheimer’s, ‘Normal life can wait’
“She didn’t laugh as much. She didn’t recognize me, and she wasn’t able to hold a conversation. I couldn’t believe the timing. It felt like a sign from my grandfather. I knew what I had to do.“
‘She’s been gone too long.’ It was a freak event during birth. She stopped breathing twice, turning grey.’: 2-day-old baby diagnosed with brain bleed, ‘She’s our big adventure’
“I knew something was wrong. A nurse came in and said Ellis had stopped breathing in the nursery twice. ‘She’s at high risk for significant developmental disabilities.’ He encouraged my husband and I to have a conversation about what to do if our baby didn’t wake up.”
‘Why even have a baby shower?’ They were preparing us for a burial. At 12 hours old, he was on life support.’: Woman gives birth to baby with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia, ‘He is a miracle’
“‘We need your permission to do whatever it takes to save your son’s life.’ I took one look at him and vomited. All I can remember is watching the nurse methodically pump a bag, breathing life into my son one squeeze at a time.”
‘Who is this stranger they placed on me? This is absolutely NOT my son.’ I couldn’t look at my husband.’: Mom to son with Down syndrome says ‘I have been so beautifully humbled’
“A scrumptious little boy was placed on my chest. I felt heart-stopping panic. ’This canNOT be my baby.’ I had prayed specifically against this. I thought things a mother should NEVER think.”
‘Is it normal to be nervous?’ I knew he wasn’t going to do a damn thing. It was not an attack on my parenting.’: Autism mom reminds special needs parents, ‘Your kid isn’t broken’
“I was convinced there wasn’t anything ‘wrong’ with my son. I would have been called a ‘refrigerator Mom,’ meaning I was cold-hearted and had ‘thawed out’ long enough to reproduce, then not showing my child love, resulting in a diagnosis.”
‘They don’t live long lives.’ She had a seizure and quit breathing. Nobody could give me an explanation.’: Woman births baby with Holoprosencepaly, ‘This journey is not for the faint of heart’
“One day, she stopped eating and cried most of the morning. I thought they would send me home with Tylenol. The doctor came in and said, ‘Pack a bag and go to the hospital.’ I had to go full steam ahead.”
‘He’s totally fine.’ I knew something was up. I deleted photos of him. It’s seen as a ‘curse from God.’: Baby diagnosed with Down syndrome months after birth, ‘He is so loved’
“‘There’s nothing to worry about.’ I remember looking for clues. Nobody else did. Not the midwife, not our health visitor, not the doctors. Nobody. I didn’t want it to be true.”
‘You won’t carry a child.’ I never got a period. I’d memorize pill brands, so I wouldn’t flag as ‘not-quite-woman.’: Woman with MRKH Syndrome finds purpose in advocacy
“I was a child learning I would never carry a child. I had the option for treatment. I would be upstairs doing this painful and intrusive act, while my family was desperately pretending I wasn’t. I felt defected and apologetic for not being ‘complete.’”
‘The doctor wants to speak with you.’ I always imagined what she’d look like. Now, I’m afraid to meet her.’: Mom of ‘cleft cutie’ says ‘I fell in love with her smile twice’
“When she tried to look at her face, she paused for a while. I will never forget that pause. It was like the air had been sucked out of the room. I turned away. I grieved over the vision of my daughter I had created.”