Motivating Stories from Local Women
Every woman has a story to tell, and no two stories are alike. Meet the women who have persevered through challenges and tribulations and come out the other side stronger than ever.
These unique individuals have seen their fair share of adversity but continue to inspire those around them with the lessons they have learned and their love of life. Read on for four truly motivating stories by the women who experienced them firsthand.
Families face this sort of thing daily. We need to treat them with kindness and compassion. Nobody knows what someone else is going through in those moments."
I was a list maker, rule follower, and planner. I was one of those people who had a vision for how my life would go. This philosophy worked well for me for the first 25 years of my life. I had married my high school sweetheart, excelled at violin, had friends, graduated with honors from college and graduate school, and landed a great first job. What was next on the list? Of course, starting a family!
My husband, Gene, and I were thrilled when we found out we were pregnant with our first child. As was part of my routine, I started making my lists, planning, and assuming everything was well. After all, I was vigilant about my prenatal care, planned the nursery, and made a list of pediatricians to interview, but all of the planning in the world could not have prepared me for what happened on December 8, 1991.
I had seen the doctor the week before, and he was concerned about my kidney function and weight gain. Within 24 hours of getting tests back, the doctor called to say I needed to go immediately to the hospital. My blood pressure was dangerously high, while at the same time, the baby’s heart rate was dropping low. I was dying, and so was our baby. The doctor told my husband he might have to choose between saving our baby and saving me.
We loved this baby from the minute she was conceived, but in that terrifying moment, my husband told the doctor to do everything he could to save both of us, but to save me. The pregnancy was killing us. The decision was personal. It makes me sad to think that if faced with that decision today, we might not have a safe choice. With the skill of a team of doctors and nurses, our baby was born at 2 pounds, and once I was not pregnant, my condition improved. Our baby was critically ill, and we did not know if she would live or die.
We learned at any moment you may be faced with a choice you do not want to make, but having the right to make those choices is a blessing. Our story could have been so different. The baby and I could have died, and our family would have been left mourning. Our story is not unique. Families face this sort of thing daily. We need to treat them with kindness and compassion. Nobody knows what someone else is going through in those moments.
Amy Boulware, East Brainerd
