“On the way up, we passed a skinny young woman wearing a hat where hair is supposed to be. This was the exact moment it hit me like a ton of bricks. I couldn’t fight the tears. I couldn’t talk. Her story, while different and unknown to me, was a look into our future.”
‘Should I leave here anticipating I have cancer?’ Nothing braced me for the answer I didn’t want to hear: ‘Yes, I would.’: Woman shares journey battling breast cancer while pregnant
‘The word YES burst from my mouth as tears rolled down my face. I was excited to make her dream come true.’: Woman fulfills promise to teenager and her terminally-ill service dog
“Love comes in many forms, and I couldn’t think of a greater love story.”
When The World Feels Heavy, Look For Hope In The Tiniest Of Places And Hold On
“There is more to this life. More beauty, even in the most hopeless of places.”
Dear Twin Mom-To-Be, You’re Going To Be Amazing (I Promise)
“When you find out there are two babies growing inside of you instead of the standard order you placed for one, you immediately think, ‘How the hell am I going to do this?’ I’m here to say: you will.”
‘He noticed we were out of whipped cream for my coffee, so we went ahead and made it fresh before 6:30 a.m. because life has been hard lately.’: Spouse shares reminder ‘it’s the little things’
“He is my person. And the one I choose sets a standard my kids see and I pray take into their hearts. Because our kids are watching, always, always watching.”
Grief Changes You—I Am Not The Same Girl I Was Before
“There are two versions of myself. One when my mother was alive and one after she passed. The two are joined, and related, but they are completely different beings.”
To My Loved One Battling Addiction: I Love You Unconditionally, But I Must Love You From Afar
“Because, you see, my addiction is trying to save you. And that is why I have no choice but to walk away.”
‘He sat there, now facing me, in awe I was able to see into his mind. That the voices in his head were in mine, too.’: Mom shares understanding, comforting son with anxiety
“I quietly closed the door and drew him closer, our sides and knees touching as we both sat against the wall. His head hung low as he shared the lies the voice in his head had been telling him.”
‘Like a tsunami we never saw coming, our boys were diagnosed with Duchenne. I didn’t know how to be a ‘regular’ mom anymore.’: Mom shares ‘surrender’ to reality of sons’ rare disease
“Surrender is not about throwing in the towel or giving up the fight against this awful disease. I will advocate, care for, and fight alongside my boys until my last breath – but I refuse to let it steal my joy or my hope.”
Miracle Baby Born At 2:22 On February 22, 2022 In Room 2
“My husband and I had been dating for three months before I was diagnosed. We were told if we wanted to start a family, it’d be nearly impossible. She’s definitely a miracle.”
The doctor said, ‘No one ever told you about his head circumference? It’s really small.’ My heart sank.’: Mom of baby with microcephaly fights for diagnosis, ‘I wouldn’t trade him for the world’
“I laid him down and I noticed his head was turned all the way to his right and his arms were bent up. He looked almost frozen. I told my husband, ‘Ben just did something weird.’ We had seen many pediatricians and they all told me he was healthy. But I knew something wasn’t right.”
‘I think we can both agree it’s better you terminate.’ Only a year later, crying into a flight attendant’s shoulder did I realize I’d be parenting solo.’: Strong single mom shares her journey
“For a long time, I saw this point of my life as the worst chapter, but I was so, so wrong. By her side is exactly where I’m supposed to be.”
‘I experimented with 9 months of sensory isolation. There was never a moment when the pain was below a 7.’: Man shares story of triumph over chronic pain and illness
“‘You’ve gone enough today.’ I was the ‘sick’ kid who was bullied for wetting my pants. But now, instead of an endless nightmare, I have joy and dreams.”
Pray For Ukraine Because Humankind Is Your Business
“They are ours because they are humankind. This is 100% our business. If you are breathing, humankind is your business.”
‘I arrived in December 1989 only 3 pounds, with my organs outside of my body.’: Exomphalos warrior defies all odds, overcomes bullying to start national support group
“With how small I was, and how rare it was, they told my family I wouldn’t live. Little did they know, I was a little warrior who wasn’t going to give up.”
What It’s Really Like Living With Chronic Migraines
“It’s not just a bad headache or a really bad hangover. It is a hell you cannot escape.”
‘The only explanation given was miracle.’: Boy starts breathing immediately after parents must ‘pull the plug’ on ventilator
“We were told he would never survive. The doctors have no explanation and are at a loss for words, saying science and medical data does not support this.”
‘You look in her eyes and don’t need to say a word. You feel her sadness and defeat. Without choice, you carry it home.’: Birth worker shares candid peek inside emotional profession
“The phone rings. A client of yours is bleeding at 15 weeks. She’s worried and has a history of loss. You go over to listen for a heartbeat to find no fetal tone, no baby’s heartbeat. That look on her face; you carry that home and it sits on your mind heavily for the next few days. You couldn’t stop thinking about her even if you tried.”
‘He died as he lived, a hero in every sense of the word.’: Ukrainian-American man dies defending Kyiv from Russian attacks after lifetime of uniting forgotten kids with loving adoptive families
“Serge was shot and killed last night while helping to defend Kyiv from Putin’s Russian forces, reportedly the first American casualty of the war. He didn’t have to be there. As a dual citizen, he could have chosen safety. But he acted exactly the way all who knew him expected him to act; he stood up for those who could not protect themselves.”
‘Sometimes, I don’t want to play with you. Not because I don’t love you. But because I’m exhausted.’: Mom says it’s OK to ‘press the pause button,’ take care of yourself
“I don’t have the energy to help Batman defeat the Joker today. And that’s okay.”
‘You lost your first tooth, and I lost a tiny piece of my heart.’: Mom shares accepting new milestones, son growing up too fast
“How did I manage to blink, only to find a little boy where my baby used to be?”
University Student’s Homemade Bumper Sticker Saves Suicidal Stranger’s Life
“Please don’t take your life today. The world is so much better with you in it. More than you realize, stay.”
‘I am here because someone heard me.’: Suicide attempt survivor shares important message about listening to those struggling
“When someone trusts you enough to talk…please listen.”
‘There’s so much I wish others knew. So many incorrect assumptions make life even harder for someone like me.’: Special needs mom clears up biggest misconceptions
“I can see the conversation shift when I walk over. I know you feel awkward talking about taking your kids hiking or going to the park. But there is no need to walk on eggshells around me.”
‘How did I make those decisions?’ Like so many times before, I was so confused and broken.’: Mom with bipolar disorder shares mental health journey
“I will never forget the doctor’s words, ‘We think Brooke should be hospitalized.’ My daughter gave me the courage to be authentic and not view a diagnosis as a cloak of shame.”