Struggle, Strength, and Determination

I was married in the summer 2016, pregnant fall 2017, and diagnosed with thyroid cancer spring 2018. Summer 2018 I gave birth to a healthy & beautiful baby girl. Shortly after her birth I found out my cancer had metastasized to my lungs. My breastfeeding journey had to end early (5 months) and I had to be isolated away from my daughter so I could undergo treatment when she was around 7 months old. Just shy of her first birthday, I unexpectedly became a solo parent. It was an extremely rough transition both financially & emotionally. When I finally got my head above water, financially, I gifted myself a gold initial circle necklace as a belated push present followed by the script mama nameplate necklace (my Mother’s Day present to myself). 

I have always wanted a big family and after five years as a solo parent I realized that if I wanted more children I should go for it. I had frozen my eggs (14) shortly after my daughter was born. Unfortunately when they were thawed, 10 were lost and I did not end up with a single viable embryo. I changed IVF clinics and after researching/attempting multiple paths, I was finally pregnant. I gave birth to my miracle boy in the fall of 2024. Of course, I needed another gold initial circle tag push present for him. 

I have always struggled with being apart from my daughter, I believe it stems from having to be away from her for treatment when she was so young. As a solo parent, being away (aka working full time) is unavoidable. When I am away from my babies I often find myself touching my Tiny Tags. For me, my Tiny Tags are more than a symbol of motherhood. They are a reminder of the path that I had to navigate to get here - my struggle, strength and determination. 

- Staci Saladino