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Mom story: My daughter was teased for having a tumor

Julie Weingarden Dubin — Thu, 30 May 2013 08:00:00 -0700

Janet Roberts, a mom of four in Jacksonville, Florida, was stunned when her then 11-year-old daughter’s stomach kept growing while the rest of her body remained slim. Her daughter’s middle school peers taunted her for looking pregnant. But after denials, several negative pregnancy tests, doctor visits and a trip to a different hospital, doctors finally discovered it wasn’t a baby growing in her belly — it was a massive tumor.

Mom story: I'm fighting for both my sons to live

Julie Weingarden Dubin — Thu, 16 May 2013 08:00:00 -0700

Jenn McNary, mom of six, started an online campaign to plea for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to quickly approve a life-saving drug that only one son has access to — both boys have Duchenne muscular dystrophy , a degenerative muscle disease. The fact that the Saxtons River, Vermont-based mom already met with senior agency officials at the FDA shows the power of a mother's determination and love.

Mom story: I started SuperSibs!

Julie Weingarden Dubin — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 08:00:00 -0700

Melanie Goldish of Duluth, Minnesota, knows what it’s like to worry about a child battling cancer — and she knows what it’s like to worry about a sibling waiting in the wings while the family focuses on the sick child. Fortunately for many families today, Goldish found a way to help the siblings of kids with cancer.

Mom story: My son has Tourette syndrome

Julie Weingarden Dubin — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:00:00 -0700

Lisa Bachman’s 15-year-old son, Justin, has Tourette syndrome, a neurological disorder that causes his body to make strange movements and noises he can’t control. The Ohio mom of three shares how she helps Justin advocate for himself — and for other people with differences.

Mom story: I’m a reality show star

Julie Weingarden Dubin — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 08:00:00 -0800

The world has watched Emily Maynard look for love on ABC’s The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, but despite the highs and lows dating brings, the most important person in Emily’s life is always her daughter, Ricki, 7. Emily opens up to SheKnows about motherhood and life in the spotlight.

Mom story: I’m Taco Mama

Julie Weingarden Dubin — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 08:00:00 -0700

When you love to cook, you’ve tackled catering and you crave flexible hours, what’s the next step? For Kerry Hubbard, 43, of Pleasant Ridge, Michigan, it’s food trucking. The trend that’s cruised across the country gives Kerry the opportunity to do what she loves and spend more time with her two sons, Jimmy, 10, and Jack, 9.

Mom story: I have post-traumatic stress disorder

Julie Weingarden Dubin — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:00:00 -0800

Haunted by memories of childhood abuse and trauma, Rachel Hope, 41, of Los Angeles, was determined to find help for her post-traumatic stress disorder so she could offer a brighter future for her two kids, Jesse, 22, and Grace, 4. After 20-plus years of suffering, Rachel found relief in an unconventional therapeutic approach.

Parenting Guru: Secrets to a happy family

Julie Weingarden Dubin — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 08:00:00 -0800

Want a happy family? Learn to stick together through the rough spots and practice what you preach, says Scott Haltzman, M.D., clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University and author of The Secrets of Happy Families: Eight Keys to Building a Lifetime of Connection and Contentment. Dr. Haltzman gives tips on how to bond.

Mom story: My daughter has robotic arms

Julie Weingarden Dubin — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 08:00:00 -0800

Megan Lavelle’s determined to raise two strong and healthy daughters, Molly, 6, and Emma, 4. But for Emma, physical strength was always a challenge until Megan learned about a robotic device that could change Emma’s life.

Mom story: My daughter died from inhaling helium

Julie Weingarden Dubin — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 08:00:00 -0800

On Feb. 18, 2012, Lori Earp’s 14-year-old daughter, Ashley Long, of Eagle Point, Oregon, went to a party with her girlfriends. What was meant to be a few fun thrills — inhaling helium from a pressurized tank — turned into Ashley’s last moments. Read how her family is trying to warn other parents and kids about the dangers of inhalants.

Mom story: I used to be deaf

Julie Weingarden Dubin — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 08:00:00 -0800

For Sarah Churman, being legally deaf was all she knew for 29 years until a surgical implant gave her the gift of hearing. Her husband, Sloan, filmed the first time she heard her voice and posted the moving clip on YouTube. It quickly went viral and landed her on Ellen and ABC’s 20/20. Sarah, 30, of Fort Worth, Texas, has since written a book, Powered On , sharing her story to inspire other people to always have hope.

Mom story: I’m a TV host

Julie Weingarden Dubin — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 08:00:00 -0800

McKenzie Westmore hosts Syfy’s hit reality competition show, Face Off, featuring special effects makeup artists competing in elaborate challenges. A fitting gig — her family helped define the role of makeup artists in motion pictures, starting with her great grandfather, George Westmore. Learn why McKenzie says family is key outside of work too.

Mom story: I’m a single mom with cancer

Julie Weingarden Dubin — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 08:00:00 -0800

Being a single parent is challenging enough, but when chemotherapy is part of the mix, it’s easy to reach a breaking point. Fortunately, Josephine Sili, 37, of Gilbert, Arizona, finds strength in the kindness of family and strangers, as she fights Stage III breast cancer, while raising two boys, ages 5 and 23 months. Learn how Josephine keeps a positive mindset in the midst of cancer treatments.

Parenting Guru: Help your kids feel safe at school

Julie Weingarden Dubin — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 08:00:00 -0800

Our hearts break every time we think about the families in Newtown, Connecticut, and how they’re struggling to cope with the horror of last Friday’s shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. In the midst of our sadness, we’re faced with needing to respond to our own kids’ queries about the attack, often clueless as to how much, or how little to say. My three elementary-aged kids want some details, for example: How many guns did the shooter have? How did he get in if the doors were locked? Did the kids see blood? Deep breath. Thankfully, Nancy Berns, associate professor of sociology at Drake University, an expert in grief, death and violence and author of Closure: The Rush to End Grief and What It Costs Us, stepped in to give us all guidance.

Mom story: I had a miracle baby

Julie Weingarden Dubin — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 08:00:00 -0800

Jennifer Hartzog, 31, of Mebane, North Carolina, knew she might never have kids when her kidney transplant failed three months after her wedding day. Instead of enjoying worry-free newlywed bliss, Jennifer had to go back on dialysis. She never could have imagined what happened next.

Mom story: I went from welfare to life coaching

Julie Weingarden Dubin — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 08:00:00 -0800

After enduring poverty and loss, Cynthia Occelli’s life experience helped her create practical approaches to success. Feeling compelled to share her knowledge, Cynthia wrote Resurrecting Venus, a guidebook that gives real-world insight on how women can tap into their feminine essence and achieve the life they want. Learn how Cynthia coaches women to believe in themselves.

Parenting Guru: Do you parent with authenticity?

Julie Weingarden Dubin — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 08:00:00 -0800

Whether or not your child gets into an Ivy League school shouldn’t be how you measure your parenting skills, says Madeline Levine, Ph.D., author of Teach Your Children Well: Parenting for Authentic Success, and co-founder of Challenge Success, a project launched at Stanford School of Education, which gives parents and schools resources to help raise healthy, motivated and capable kids. Learn why the push for elite-college standing may be at the price of your kid’s childhood.

Mom story: I had thyroid cancer

Julie Weingarden Dubin — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 08:00:00 -0800

Two years ago Amber Skipper, then 28, of Westfield, Indiana, thought she had it all raising her two little girls, with her loving husband, Ryan. But her world came to a halt when she learned she had thyroid cancer — an often treatable yet hard-to-detect cancer. Cases are increasing and medical researchers aren’t sure why, but Dancing with the Stars co-host Brooke Burke-Charvet recently revealed her thyroid cancer diagnosis which is helping to bring more attention to the cancer that’s three times more common in women than in men. Read how Amber fought against thyroid cancer while juggling young kids.

Mom story: My kids have life-threatening food allergies

Julie Weingarden Dubin — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 08:00:00 -0800

Jackie Ourman, 37, of Irvington, New York, is raising three boys — two with life-threatening food allergies — all while studying the culinary arts and managing her own celiac disease. Read why she won’t let her kids give up on eating delicious foods, despite their dietary restrictions.

Parenting Guru: How to parent with simplicity

Julie Weingarden Dubin — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 08:00:00 -0800

Want to banish your kids' stress? Clear the clutter, take away the trinkets and bring on the rituals, says Kim John Payne, M.Ed., consultant, trainer and author of Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids. The founding director of the Center for Social Sustainability and father of two, sheds light on Simplicity Parenting.