“I was devastated. What kind of woman, what kind of wife was I if I couldn’t have a baby? My identity was completely wrapped up in all the wrong ideas.”
‘I would love to say it was love at first sight, but in all honesty, I never thought he could be our son. I was convinced we had a long wait in front of us.’
‘She deserves to know she has a guardian angel watching over her. Our family was concerned I got pregnant too quickly after such a tragic passing, but she was everything we needed.’
“I couldn’t stop screaming and yelling his name, begging him to wake up. I felt guilt knowing I didn’t breastfeed him. I have panic attacks, a lot, over what should be minor things.”
‘It’s a good thing you’re pretty because you don’t have much else going for you.’ Those words cut deep. I allowed them to affect how I viewed my worth.
“I was diagnosed with Lyme disease after I began college. I found unnatural amounts of hair coming out in my brush. I stood in front of the mirror in tears.”
I leaned in and said, ‘Hi mom.’ She continued to stare, but not at me. I knew this was coming. She’s had dementia for 9 years. I kissed her forehead and said, ‘I love you.’ Still nothing.
“Her caregiver said, ‘Becky’s here.’ My mom looks around me and says, ‘Becky?!’ Then in my moment of joy, I realized she was looking for Becky. I was beside her, and she was looking past me in the hopes of seeing her Becky.”
‘I woke up being wheeled to the ICU in the worst pain imaginable. All I could silently mouth was ‘How’s my baby?’ I needed a doctor to believe me.’
“I was frustrated and angry. I know my body and I know that this isn’t a migraine!”
After he died, I was obsessed with looking at pictures of him. I thought to myself, ‘I have to get these off my phone.’ I never got the chance.
“By that evening, my phone crashed. I lost everything. Every text, every video, every sad, painful picture. They were gone. He was gone. Everything was gone.”
‘I don’t really know what to say. Would you like tea?’ I’d just found out my boy wasn’t fine, he’d never be fine, and our life was forever changed.’: Mom’s son diagnosed with rare Vanishing White Matter terminal illness
“He wasn’t able to walk or stand. He was dragging one of his legs and crisscrossing them. Friends and family kept trying to reassure me everything would be okay, but I knew it wouldn’t. I could tell by how the doctors tiptoed around us, the way they were spending so much time with us. ‘It’s progressive, untreatable, incurable, and terminal.’ Despite all this, Sam is joy personified. He is the most incredible person I’ve ever met.”
‘MY TWO QUEENS! There are many times in life where you get to watch wonderful things happen. Her dream is to become a superstar – and tonight you helped make her dream come true!’
“Without Delaney doing this Skye probably would not have even been on the ballot.”
‘I may carry the mental load, but YOU carry ME. That’s a realization I came to today.’
“Her kids are always so dirty; does she even bath them? Wow. She’s put on a few pounds. She looks like a mess; do you think she’s okay?”
‘You were told you have cancer. If I timed my letter right – you’re home now, sitting with your daughter at bedtime.’
“You took that picture, holding your baby tight, wondering if these old photos would be the only evidence of you she’d have.”