Mom Story

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.

Moms who give back: Meet Susan Polis Schutz

Maria Mora — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:00:00 -0700

Meet a woman who has continually reinvented herself while juggling parenting and her career. Susan Polis Schutz followed her dreams and now devotes her creative and professional pursuits to helping others through documentary film.

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 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: 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’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 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.

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: 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: 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.

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.

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.

Mom story: My daughter has cerebral palsy

Julie Weingarden Dubin — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 08:00:00 -0800

Lisa Viele, 39, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, talks about juggling life with three kids — one with cerebral palsy — and making sure that each child feels special.

Mom story: I started BollyFit, Inc.

Julie Weingarden Dubin — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 08:00:00 -0800

When Anuja Rajendra started BollyFit, Inc., she knew it was more than a fad. The mom of two boys, ages 7 and 6, shares how she’s bridging cultural gaps and getting people moving with fitness classes that include Indian dance styles and mindfulness.

Mom story: I had 5 kids in 6-1/2 years

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

Most moms’ first inclination after having five kids back-to-back probably isn’t “Hmmm, I think I’ll start a business,” but that’s exactly what Melissa Lawrence, 42, of New York, New York did with her internet resource for moms — and she’s never looked back.

Mom story: I left Hollywood to help sick kids

Julie Weingarden Dubin — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 08:00:00 -0700

After realizing that she wanted to help families with critically ill children, Paula DuPre’ Pesmen, 50, quit her job as an associate producer in Hollywood and returned home to Boulder, Colorado, to start There With Care, a nonprofit that gives families a hand. The mother of two boys ages 7 and 10, Paula knows from personal experience how important it is to have people to lean on.

Mom story: I invented a one-of-a-kind product

Julie Weingarden Dubin — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 08:00:00 -0700

When Talia Bahr Goldfarb, 39, of St. Louis, Missouri, couldn’t find a belt easy for her then-toddler son to fasten, she and her sister, Danielle, invented a Velcro belt that’s a cinch for little ones to use with one hand. Today, the belts are sold in catalogs and at more than 700 stores throughout the country. Their business, Myself Belts, has earned $2 million in sales since launching in 2004. Goldfarb, mom of three kids ages 13, 9 and 7, sometimes can’t believe the success is real and says the sole reason she has a business is because she’s a mom.