Jane Ridley

Eliza Evans couldn't cope with the sheer amount of stuff she'd inherited from her grandma. She overcame guilt to sell or gift the antiques to others.

Betsy Smith lost half her body weight through a combination of diet, exercise and weight-loss drugs. She's still struggles with loose skin.

I was an average student with few ambitions to enter college. I got the push I needed from a fellow middle-schooler with a go-getting attitude to life

Brittany Patterson's 11-year-old son walked to a local dollar store alone without telling her. A stranger called the cops, concerned he might be in danger, though he said he was OK.

A neighborhood play group where only one adult is there for emergencies has nurtured independence for kids. They don't want to helicopter parent.

Jeff Horton was not a present dad due to his drinking. In 2021 he decided to change that and went into rehab. He is now a hands-on grandfather.

Phyllis Cavone, 76, and her 75-year-old husband are raising their three teenage grandsons. The retired dental assistant and police officer have cared for them since they were babies.

Diana Coello gained weight during the pandemic. She was 250 at her heaviest and her doctor recommended lifestyle changes.

Dina Winter-Robinson and her twin were homeless and constantly late for school at the age of 13.

Amy Speace became a mom for the first time one month shy of her 50th birthday. The musician underwent IVF and used donor eggs.