“‘You should buy a lottery ticket,’ they told me. I thought it was strange nothing was happening. The odds were definitely stacked against us. ‘Miracle baby,’ they called him.”
‘I heard, ‘One, two, three, four!’ I asked, ‘What are you counting?!’ The cord was wrapped around his neck four TIMES!’: After complicated birth, mom thankful for ‘miracle baby’
‘Today my little sister received her school yearbook. She was intentionally left out due to her differences in ability.’: Sister to student with Down syndrome advocates for inclusion, ‘There is no excuse’
“Since the 2,500+ students and faculty didn’t get the honor of seeing Glenda’s yearbook photo, at least the internet can.”
‘We married ‘outside of our race.’ We get hateful stares, slurs. Still, we will continue to love one another and grow stronger.’: Woman in interracial couple says ‘we will rise above negativity’
“We’ve come to understand people do not want a black person dating or marrying a white person, or a white person dating or marrying a black person. And to them I say, we will rise above.”
‘I was single with a big, empty house. ‘Can you take in a 10-month-old baby?’ A lightbulb went off.’: Single woman embarks on emotional foster mom journey, ‘I’d repeat it all over again’
“I buckled baby J into his seat and gave him a quick kiss. ‘I’ll see you later.’ The lump in my throat was painful as ever. I turned away to see J’s brother crying. I absolutely lost it. I panicked, trying to catch my breath. I went from being a mom to no longer being a mom in a matter of minutes.”
‘That’s not normal.’ I took her to the ER. ‘Mommy, I want my fingers and toes to get all wrinkley.’: Mom thankful for those who helped ‘walking miracle’ daughter beat cancer
“‘She was feeling better, but there was light vomit here and there. Then, on the afternoon of Saturday, March 24th we were at a party and I noticed her right eye moving inward, Slow down, I’m dizzy,’ she said.”
‘Are you joking?’ My doctor had a very serious look. ‘Pregnancy is not something I’m allowed to joke about.’ I’d been taking birth control pills.’: Mom births warrior baby with ‘sweet cleft smile’
“I said goodbye to his sweet, wide smile and tried to hold it together as the nurse carried him away. The second I got to the café, with my COVID-19 mask under my chin, I ugly cried into my sandwich. I texted my best friend, ‘I’m going to puke or soil my pants.’ I was a ball of emotion.”
‘We found our phones with several missed calls, texts. ‘Congratulations! You’ve been matched with a baby boy…’ We immediately melted into tears.’: Couple adopt baby with Down syndrome, ‘He was absolutely worth the wait’
“A fat stack of personal information – copies of driver’s licenses, tax returns, medical records – everything we are taught to keep confidential, was GONE. ‘Lost’ in the mail. 3 weeks later, I got a call from our social worker: ‘You’ll never guess what just happened!’ We knew raising a child with special needs would bring challenges, but we also knew it would be a huge blessing.”
‘He received an email. ‘Because of you, I’m able to celebrate my birthday, and 60 years of life. Thank you.’: Husband donates bone marrow to stranger, wife feels blessed, ‘He is the calm to my storm’
“He donated bone marrow to save the life of a complete stranger. He was excited. Elated. He barred me from telling anyone, he didn’t want to make a fuss. That’s the man I’m married to.”
‘Mom, I can’t get the video out of my head.’ My sweet boys who still snuggle, could be viewed as a threat.’: Mom encourages sons to protest, ‘My boys got to participate in something so impactful’
“’Why is that officer on that man’s neck?’ It dawned on me, although we explained racism and expressed there are people who will hate them because of their skin color, we failed to put emphasis on how some of those people may very well be the same ones intended to protect you.”
‘She was abandoned with nothing, not even a name.’: Woman starts orphanage for terminally ill kids
“‘Her own family didn’t even want her,’ the judge told me solemnly, ‘She’s probably not going to live. Why would you even bother? Why do you care so much?’ I looked right back at her and said, ‘Because her life matters.'”