“She saw him and said, ‘’My grandson has it, too.’ What? I was in denial.”
‘The doctor said, ‘Do you know what this might mean?’ I felt CHEATED. ‘There’s NOTHING wrong with him!’ I had to ‘fix it.’: Mom of autistic son navigates challenges, ‘I embrace him for who he is’
‘Please tell me what’s going on!’ It was a freak accident. ‘AM I DREAMING?’ Christmas was supposed to be ‘THE DAY!’: Woman pregnant with rainbow baby, ‘She chose US to be her parents’
“I was rushed to the hospital because it looked bloody BAD. ‘I just have this weird feeling,’ I told him. I was shaking from absolute shock.”
‘Why didn’t you abort her?’ I wanted to put her back in my tummy, where’d she be safe. She had IMMEDIATE surgery.’: Mom loses daughter to heart defect, ‘She shaped our lives’
“They told me, ‘Take her home and let her heart give out.’ I kept going because SHE kept going. It was moment by moment.”
‘Don’t BUG me, I’m having the baby and it ends up where it ends up.’ Mom refused medical care. It was a waiting game.’: Parents foster-to-adopt siblings, ‘We can’t wait to see who comes next’
“‘It’s a girl! I don’t know where she is!’ I sent her a backpack full of food, toiletries, notes from our daughter, prenatal vitamins and clothes, yet she wouldn’t accept it.”
‘Be careful, your body attracts men.’ At age 11 I was told my figure wasn’t right. It ripped me apart.’: Formal dancer reflects on ‘body positive’ journey, ‘Learn to speak to yourself with love’
“We were told we could only drink water or Diet Coke because ‘you shouldn’t waste calories on fluids.’ At 17, I hated my body. But it was all ‘part of the job.’”
‘My husband said, ‘I think that’s blood.’ This couldn’t be happening AGAIN. A terrifying 911 call was placed.’: Couple shares miscarriage journey, pregnancy, ‘We’re going to end this year with a rainbow’
“I sat in complete shock after she said it. I couldn’t think, not even to make a grocery list or clean our house. The panic attacks became a daily thing. I didn’t think I’d survive the month of October.”
‘You need to lose your baby fat.’ At 13 I was deemed ‘unworthy.’ I was told I shouldn’t exist.’: Woman fights for body positivity, ‘I want to define what ‘healthy’ is’
“My mom bought me shorts from Abercrombie and Fitch. They didn’t fit, and my mom just said ‘We’ll get them a size up.’ They didn’t make them in a bigger size. My heart broke. Mr brain immediately went to: ‘I’m fat, ugly, and unworthy.’”
‘Can you take my child? Also, I’m pregnant.’ I ugly cried. They had to stay in Japan. I didn’t know if I’d see them again.’: Couple adopts siblings internationally, describes process, ‘It took a year to be reunited’
“How could I leave? Surely, if I had enough faith, we could be reunited, right? His response was not the resounding ‘YES!’ I’d hoped for.”
‘They’re stripping me of ANOTHER body part?’ I was only 16. ‘I’m sorry, your tumor didn’t shrink, at all.’: Multiple cancer survivor with TP53 gene becomes advocate, ‘I choose to not let fear control me’
“’We need to amputate.’ I’d never be able to play sports again, I’d never walk again, I probably wouldn’t go to college or get married. Everything I planned for suddenly came crashing down on me.”
‘But I’m getting married!’ Our honeymoon was at the treatment center. Somehow I had become ‘the problem.’: Cancer survivor battles infertility, ‘This is the year we become parents’
“I didn’t understand what came out of her mouth after ‘hysterectomy.’ NO WAY! Not at the age of 30! I was the strong one, I refused to let anyone see my fear.”