Children

‘Hi Mom, I’m home. Wake me up for school at 9, ok? I love you.’ I looked right at him, ‘I love you, too. Get some sleep, it’s late.’: Mom loses 26-year-old son to heroin-laced joint, says she’ll ‘always carry him in her heart’

“He was very upset and put his hand on my shoulder. ‘Mom, I would never do that to you or dad. I love this family way too much. I love you, mom.’ I looked straight in his eyes and thanked him, and I truly believed him. I still do till this day. He was home, safe, planning for school the next day. When I went to wake him for school, I knew he was gone the moment I saw him.”

Eliza Murphy - Oct 12, 2018

‘When I was 16, I scribbled, ‘I’m sorry, please don’t hate me. Goodbye,’ on a piece of paper. I said a prayer that ‘If I was supposed to stick around, send me a sign.’ Just then, my computer beeped with a message from a good friend.’

“I didn’t want to burden anyone with ‘ridiculous and frivolous drama.’ I knew hurting myself was wrong, and I was scared of getting in trouble. And the biggest reason I held it in: I was terrified of rejection.”

LJ Herman - Oct 12, 2018

‘I think this is something viral.’ 3 days later, her dad carried her like a limp, broken doll into our office.’: Doctor shocked by patient with ‘rare polio-like’ disease, ‘Viruses are everywhere’

“She screamed in pain whenever her head was turned. Her neck was stiff, rigid. The ER doctor called me. I nearly spit out my drink. ‘What?!’ This was almost a myth. What in the world was it doing in my office—heck, in my city?”

LJ Herman - Oct 12, 2018

‘She looked at me and said, ‘Mommy I heard you crying. Are you ok?’ ‘The baby is in heaven now.’: Family strives to overcome pregnancy loss

“We said our final goodbyes by attending a shared burial. Our baby, along with 30 or so others, were buried all together in a beautiful little white casket. At the end of the service, each family had a chance to spend a few moments with all the babies in the casket. My husband, the girls and I all walked hand-in-hand slowly up front.”

Eliza Murphy - Oct 12, 2018

‘I had everything: 2 healthy boys, a brand new baby girl, a husband, a room full of baby gifts. I was unbelievably grateful. I was unbelievably satisfied. But I wasn’t happy.’

“’Maybe this is just what it’s like to have three kids,’ I thought. I cried alone. I pushed my friends away. I couldn’t connect with my kids.”

LJ Herman - Oct 12, 2018

‘A mom and her son who were strangers to me walked up where I was waiting for Sam to finish tutoring. I went over to them, and peeked in the windows.’

“I almost stayed in my van. I was so close, because staying where you are is the easy choice isn’t it? But I heard a whisper, so I got out.”

LJ Herman - Oct 12, 2018

‘It isn’t fair, she couldn’t take care of us.’ These were the words spoken by one of my kiddos as they broke down at the news their biological sister would be returned to their birth mom.

“‘Will she be back?’ My heart broke. ‘No, she won’t be.’ They all just sat there. The greatest tragedy was the fact my oldest 3 were getting used to losing people they loved.”

Eliza Murphy - Oct 12, 2018

‘It’s been a long day. She doesn’t feel good. She is exhausted. And, do you know what she needs from you? She needs you to HUG HER.’

“It is not lost on me that, for you, it has been a long day too. But, you asked for this. You wanted this. You must have known this is what it would be like. So, why are you complaining?”

Eliza Murphy - Oct 12, 2018