Jennifer’s Story: As a highly productive twenty something year old I had a house, a boat, lots of friends, a loving family, and a great job. Then in the blink of an eye my life fell apart. Always the risk taker looking for fun, I saw no reason not to experiment...
Bunmi’s Story: Exhausted by the grind of my second year as a general surgery resident, I tried to energize myself by recalling my big dreams. I planned to enter a fellowship program to further specialize, become an academic surgeon with built-in research time,...
Kate’s Story: Shaking in the cold, my three brothers and I huddled under a discarded boat waiting for hours for the click of the lock on the door and our father to let us into the house. As an eight-year-old little girl I longed to run into my Daddy’s arms when...
Carrie’s Story: I carried the shame of feeling defective for twenty-three years. The summer before my senior year of high school I went manic. I did not know I was burning the candle at both ends, involved in many activities and getting little sleep. The night...
Emily’s* Story: “What’s your story, Emily?” My head snapped up, startled, toward the voice at the end of a table filled with friends. All eyes turned to me. I scrambled to compile something coherent, but even as I opened my mouth, I knew I hadn’t. What is my...
Christina’s* Story: I will never forget the buzz of the vacuum. Nor will I forget the insensitive nurse informing me, “this part shouldn’t hurt” as she forcefully pressed down on my abdomen while the life-sustaining water poured out, splashing on the floor. My...
