Family Stories

Share your story!

Are you or someone you know living with a birth defect? Share your story!

We welcome your submissions and ask that you please observe the following guidelines when submitting your story to us via email.

• Topic ideas: We are looking for stories on different conditions from different perspectives in an effort to highlight a variety of experiences.
  • Are you living with a birth defect?
    What is it like? Have you experienced any challenges as you have grown up? What ongoing care have you needed? Do you believe birth defects research is important? Do you have advice for others living with these conditions? What do you want the rest of the world to know about you?
  • Do you have a child with a birth defect?
    What was it like when your child’s defect was diagnosed? How has your child’s birth defect affected your family? What does research on birth defects mean to you? What advice do you have for other parents who have a child with a recent diagnosis? What do you want the rest of the world to know?
• Please keep your story to two or three paragraphs maximum, or 300–500 words.
• Please include at least one picture that we have permission to use with your story.
• We will review all stories prior to posting. We may need to edit them.
• We may not use every story, but we thank you for participating.
• If you have submitted a story to us in the past, we are interested in how you and your family are doing today, and we will happily accept updates!

These stories can provide support to many families who have had similar experiences. View our current Flickr album of stories from families living with or affected by birth defects. Because of the volume of submissions, not all stories will be immediately available or available indefinitely. Families and individuals interested in sharing their story will need to sign waivers that give CDC permission to share their pictures and story.

Submit your story.