Lauren Ashley German

One hot July day in 2014, my mother Debi and I were out for a walk. I still remember the look on her face as she winced in pain and stopped dead in her tracks. "What's wrong?" I said. "Just got a quick sharp pain in my lower right side, but it's gone now, weird. Must be gas," she replied.…

Our 13-year-old daughter, Kirsten, was living the normal life of a seventh-grade student. Before an annual doctor visit, she asked her mother if she should mention that her menstrual cycle stopped for about six months. Our pediatrician was concerned and ordered several tests. Several experts recognized an increase in her hormone level based on the test results, but it seemed…

By the Mayan Calendar, December 21, 2012, was supposed to be the end of the world. The world didn't end, but life as I knew it would. Robin, my wife, and best friend was diagnosed with Stage 3C ovarian cancer. I am a maintenance man for the county government and my job is to fix things. Throughout our marriage, my…