‘It appears your baby did not develop a left forearm or hand.’ My whole body was shaking. It was surreal.’: Mom celebrates child born with limb difference, ‘In our eyes, he was perfect’

“Our brief phone call couldn’t have been longer than 5 minutes, yet it changed everything we knew or expected for our future. I had been hoping that they were wrong. Terrified of the unknown, I put off buying anything for our baby. I smiled throughout my baby shower I didn’t even want to attend.”

‘I miss punching out. I miss the thank you’s and ‘you’re doing a great job.’ I miss not having to awkwardly stumble through, ‘What do you do?’: Stay-at-home mom shares candid reality of ‘high stakes’ motherhood

“This work leaks into every part of my life. There’s not a minute that’s safe. It calls in the middle of the night, during hair appointments, and workouts. Vacation doesn’t exist. I miss getting ready. I miss the compliments on my outfit and hair. The hot coffee, and people who got my jokes. When my brain operated well enough to form them. But I know the one thing I’d always miss more than work, are my children.”

‘You just need to go back to work, you can’t handle this.’ I was fearful to break down in front of my husband. I’m a stay-at-home mom.’: Mom says ‘You can breakdown and you need to.’

“‘Well you decided to have children. Don’t do what you can’t handle.’ I was terrified to break down in front of my friends. Anytime I made any remark about being tired or frustrated, I’d get the response, ‘It goes by so fast. Appreciate the moments because you’ll miss them.’ Did people think I didn’t appreciate my children?”

‘After rehab, I manipulated my mom into dropping me off at a bar. ‘I’m not an alcoholic.’ I got drunk and high that night.’: Woman overcomes heroin and alcohol addiction, ‘God put me on this earth to make an impact’

“I knew nothing about heroin. But I did it. That missing feeling I had inside of me for so long was gone. It felt warm and like I was being hugged. It felt like I had arrived. In my mind, I was a heroin addict, not an alcoholic. I got drunk and got high that night. I would share needles with whoever. I found out I had contracted Hepatitis C. One of my best friends, who I used with, had been sober for 18 months. If she could do it, so could I.”

‘The sonographer whispered under her breath, ‘Thank you, Jesus.’ I looked up to her wiping her eyes. My ‘dead baby’ was alive.’: Baby miraculously survives suspected miscarriage 

“‘Because of the chemo, he’ll likely be sterile.’ I felt my heart break as they escorted us out a side door, so I didn’t have to pass the expecting mothers in the waiting room. I tried coming to grips with the fact I may have lost the baby, but there was 1% of me that told me there was a CHANCE.”

‘It was pizza day in school. ‘Your face looks like a pepperoni.’ My friend got up and slapped the guy.’: Woman born with port wine stain learns to embrace her beauty, ‘I needed to be myself’

“I was born with a big Port Wine Stain, covering half of my face. They would only laser a small part of my birthmark at a time because it was so painful. My mom recalls ‘the smell of burned skin getting in her nose.’ As I got older, I felt people staring more. Adults would stop in the middle of the sidewalk. ‘Wow.’ Kids would point. ‘Look at that.’ Imagine a little girl asking a grown woman, ‘Can I help you?’ That was me growing up.”

‘He doesn’t mind me in the dirtiest pair of leggings or the most pristine outfit I own. He’s just there, always, ready.’: Mom of 3 reminds busy parents that ‘perfection isn’t the goal. Love is.’

“I will always remember these mornings, starting with the doorway being bombarded by a handful of babies ready to snuggle up in our bed. When the smell of freshly brewed coffee fills the house amidst the chaos of sticky, syrupy pancake hugs, and toy-take-away battles. Trying to zip jackets, change diapers, and chase down the toddler who took his pants off again.”

‘When my dad whispered, ‘I love you,’ I knew it was more than that. It was a final goodbye. They were ready to let go.’: Woman diagnosed with eating disorder at 13 finally accepts help, ‘I am ready to start the next, better, decade of my life’

“My parents had shed too many tears over me, and I couldn’t bear it to break their hearts again. I felt ready to die, but knew it wasn’t my time. I was weak. I gave up the reigns and opted for inpatient treatment. I was frustrated, and I let this be known. I would shout and hit the walls. I would argue. But gradually, I came to life again. I am no longer held back by my demons.”

‘Yeah, let’s do it.’ We scrambled up the fire escape. ‘Hey, get back down here!’ It was cops yelling. ‘You reckon they’re gonna kill us?’: Man recalls becoming friends with country singer, Marty Robbins, thanks to StoryWorth

“My buddy found a window that was unlocked and we climbed in… to a ladies’ restroom. And it was occupied. There was lots of screaming and shrieking and we didn’t know what to do. ‘What’s going on in here?!’ He introduced himself as Marty Robbins. ‘You guys come with me.’ The cops said, ‘We’ve been looking for these boys!’ We thought for sure they were going to arrest us.”

‘I had plans to graduate. We’d both just gotten good jobs. Why was this happening to us NOW?’: Young mom says age doesn’t matter, ‘We will always be exactly where we need to be’

“My life as I knew it came to a screeching halt at the sight of a little pink plus sign. When I became pregnant at 21, I felt like the world was ending. Society ruined this for us. We were so convinced we had to follow this schedule of ‘happenings.’ I was robbed of the blissful success in conceiving.”

‘Who will take care of you when I’m gone?’ It froze me. We were supposed to be planning our camping trip, not his funeral.’: Widow shares touching moment of hope, ‘Don’t give up, your chocolate cake is coming’

“We were still young. His death was not supposed to happen. So, when I woke up to go work yesterday, 4 years after my husband died, I opened up my tired eyes, looked over to my nightstand, and there it was. That white cereal bowl with a slice of chocolate cake in it, left there by the one that came ‘next.’ He knew it had been a rough day. He knew I needed to have 5 whole, quiet minutes to just enjoy something that I love. Because he gets it. He really gets it.”

‘John has become a mere statistic in a war we are losing. His military grave plaque should say ‘War on Opioids.’: Mom loses son to opioid addiction, ‘the epidemic that is stealing our children.’

“What started as a hockey accident eventually led to full-blown addiction and death. John was injured while playing club hockey while stationed on a base in Alaska. He was sent home with an ice pack and a bottle of pain killers. They are highly addictive, especially to a young brain. I wonder when he knew he was in trouble.”

‘How do you feel?’ I said, ‘Shocked.’ But the relief I felt was unreal. Tears streamed down my face.’: Woman diagnosed with autism at 30, ‘Autism is not something I have. It’s who I am.’

“As my phone began to ring, I noticed there was no caller ID. My heart skipped a beat, my throat tightened, and I froze. I knew this was it. Why were they calling now? This was not a good time. My report was ready. I felt the blood rush to my head. I was walking through a busy street. Tears streamed down my face. I had waited for forever. Why had we not seen it for so many years? I was 30 years old – so much of my life had been a lie.”

‘Doctors told me it was ‘a blocked milk duct.’ It felt like a lemon seed under my skin, close to my areola, and hadn’t hurt at all.’: Woman with breast cancer stays positive, ‘I’ve got this. Everything will be okay.’

“My diagnosis came when I was a 48-year-old, post-menopausal woman with no biological children. I told myself, ‘I have to get my sh*t together quick!’ Things were progressing well until a few days after we moved into a new home. I was experiencing severe shortness of breath, which I’d mistakenly attributed to chemo side effects. Long story short, 840 gallons of propane leaked into our home. By the time the leak was discovered, my treatment plan had been modified.”

‘I’m not in love with you. I haven’t been since you got pregnant.’ He didn’t shed a tear. He turned his back and went to sleep.’: Couple learn to peacefully co-parent after separation, ‘Our love for our little girl comes first’

“‘I was waiting for the right time to tell you.’ It was 2 a.m. on a Sunday night, our little girl sleeping so peacefully on my chest. Memories of our honeymoon, our wedding anniversary just weeks before crowded in on me. How long had I been living a lie? I remember wishing I could tell him to get out. I was paralyzed. He turned his back, went to sleep as I lay awake, sobbing. Every night, I’d dream about hurting him. I had so much anger hidden away, I was afraid I’d explode.”

‘I’ve written him a prescription for 10 narcotics.’ HOLD UP! A vasectomy is more painful than pushing out an 8-pound baby?’: Wife given ibuprofen after childbirth infuriated by husband’s special treatment at same hospital

“This baby was 2 pounds heavier than my others. My hemorrhoids were raging. ‘Your only option is ibuprofen,’ the nurse explained. Huh? I was told they’ve done away with narcotics after birth and only C-section patients are allowed to have stronger medication. A month later, my husband went in for his vasectomy. His procedure was at the exact same hospital I’d just given birth in. I about fell out of my chair!”

‘My hubby snapped this photo while I fell asleep sitting up, breastfeeding our 2-week-old twins. It’s the most unflattering image, but it makes me proud.’: Mom to twins reminds us how ‘amazing’ the female body can be 

“Exhausted doesn’t fully describe this photo. I was sneaking in a nap while healing from 2 types of births: Baby A vaginal, Baby B cesarean. My body was working non-freaking-stop to make all the milk for these boys. People ask, ‘How do you do it with 4 kids?’ I shrug and respond, ‘Moms always figure it out.’ Even when we have no clue how, we make it work. We’ve got a drive within us that is unstoppable. The funny thing is, I’d do it all over again.”