“This body is forever mine, full of layers that have built me to where I am now.”
Dear Current Body, I Am Still Learning To Appreciate You
‘We thought she’d be saved once again. But this time, they had nothing left to offer.’: 8-year-old girl dies of cancer after 4-year battle, 4th relapse
“We were beside ourselves. This couldn’t be happening again. Daniela was scared and had been through so much already with all the chemo and radiation.”
‘I was always the tired mom. I was always the yelling, burnt-out, over-worked, stressed-out mom.’: Single working mom shares blended family’s busy schedule, ‘I’m still figuring it all out’
“I don’t get the laundry done during the day. I don’t get to pre-heat the oven. After the kids are in bed, the house is still a mess.”
‘Will I be able to have children?’ My doctor looked apprehensive. ‘I cannot answer that.’ I was horrified and anxious.’: Mom shares story with early menopause, miscarriage
“‘You have no eggs left.’ I sat there in disbelief and shock. My intuition was telling me to do a pregnancy test. The test said I wasn’t pregnant but I had those feelings for days. I was PREGNANT.”
My Son With Autism Is The Bravest Person I Know
“Autism is a game of short strides. One day, you look up and realize all the work, all the hope, all the fear, all the worry is turning into something bigger than you imagined.”
I Have A Rare Genetic Disorder Called Oculofaciocardiodental Syndrome, But I’m Embracing My Divine Uniqueness
“I’m one in a million, literally.”
‘He would tease me for ‘waddling across the room.’ I felt wildly inadequate and humiliated.’: Woman shares relationship with diet culture, advice for others during the holidays
“‘You can jump off the wagon now,’ they say. But the moment we wake up on January 1, we have to ‘get back on track’ with an extreme diet to ‘undo’ all the ‘bad behavior’ of the holidays.”
‘My struggles were passed off because of ‘my Christian upbringing and shy temperament.’ The best way to survive was to fly under the radar.’: Mom diagnosed with autism at 29
“My heart beat violently in my chest and my face prickled hot with anxiety. ‘I think I might actually be autistic…’ It could’ve cost me all I held dear: my husband, my daughter, even my independence.”
Dear Special Needs Child, The World Has Failed You
“We returned to IEP world today. I listened for over an hour of how far behind you are. Of how and where you struggle. Parenting was easy from preschool to elementary. There were so many services and supports. Then they ended. Some days I don’t even know the question, let alone the answers.”
‘It’s common in toddlers,’ she said. ‘It’s rare he has it at 3 months of age.’ We just wanted our baby boy to be OK.’: Mom shares son’s battle through Wilms Tumor, ‘Every moment is a blessing’
“The short drive to the hospital was filled with anxiety and confusion. Our oldest son kept asking us where we were going, all he wanted to do was play and have fun. I held my tears and started to pray, but I had a gut feeling this was the beginning of a long journey for us.”