Child Life On Call: Parents Of Children With An Illness Or Medical Condition Share Their Stories With A Child Life Specialist

Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist talks with Cortney Given, Life Coach and Host of the Mindset for Medical Moms Podcast. Cortney could have never guessed that the high school paper she wrote HLHS would be given to her second daughter. Having just moved to Hawaii to start a family adventure, Cortney and her daughter had to relocate back to California for medical care.  In this episode, we talk about: +How living apart from her oldest daughter and husband to seek medical care was challenging and what their reunion was like +Focusing on gratitude helped her state focused and move forward each day +She used her experience and now helps other moms facing similar situations. Follow along with Cortney and and make sure to follow her on Instagram. Have you heard? The Child Life On Call mobile app for parents, kids and their care team will be available in 2022. Sign up to stay informed here. Child Life On Call is a community of parents and professionals that share ideas, stories and resources to help YOU navigat

Answering parent questions in a 12 minute talk. Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist talks with Lauren Holley, CCLS and Professor discusses the topic: How to Talk to Kids About Death. We talk about: +How to concretely explain death to kids at all stages of development +What emotional responses kids may display after the conversation +Ways to keep the conversation “ongoing” to help kids feel supported Have you heard? The Child Life On Call mobile app for parents, kids and their care team will be available in 2022. Sign up to stay informed here. Child Life On Call is a community of parents and professionals that share ideas, stories and resources to help YOU navigate your child’s unique experiences. We give you strategies to support yourself and your family through life’s challenges. We are so glad you are here. Child Life On Call | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist talks with Jessica Patay, Founder and Executive Director of We Are Brave Together. Her own story as a mom of a child with special needs began in 2003 when her second son, Ryan, was born and diagnosed with a rare, genetic disorder, called Prader-Willi syndrome. Within two days of receiving this diagnosis, she received a phone call from a mentor mom from the Prader-Willi California Foundation.  Immediately she felt relief and comfort knowing she was NOT ALONE.  In this episode, we talk about: How hearing from medical staff, “I’ve never heard of this before” is NOT helpful What Jessica wished she would have known 18 years ago about where she is today How community has shaped her ability to cope and thrive Learn more about Jessica’s organization and make sure to follow her on Instagram and Facebook.  Have you heard? The Child Life On Call mobile app for parents, kids and their care team will be available in 2022. Sign up to stay informed here. Child Life On Call is a comm

Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist talks with Lauren Holley, CCLS and Professor answers the question and discusses the topic: Should Young Kids Go To Funerals? We talk about: +How to assess whether or not your child is ready to attend the funeral +Concrete language to prepare a young child for a funeral +Ways to support your child during and after the funeral Have you heard? The Child Life On Call mobile app for parents, kids and their care team will be available in 2022. Sign up to stay informed here. Child Life On Call is a community of parents and professionals that share ideas, stories and resources to help YOU navigate your child’s unique experiences. We give you strategies to support yourself and your family through life’s challenges. We are so glad you are here. Child Life On Call | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

“It was a life or death... that was our life and we rose to the occasion.” Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist talks with Laurie Strongin from Hope for Henry. We talk about: +How parenthood started out with hearing the news no parent wants to hear +How Laurie’s growing family lived out of hotels and Ronald McDonald Homes for years +The impact her first born’s death has had on his siblings +How the first birthday without a “birthday boy” sparked a mission that has reached over 55,000 children in hospitals. Have you heard? The Child Life On Call mobile app for parents, kids and their care team will be available in 2022. Sign up to stay informed here. Child Life On Call is a community of parents and professionals that share ideas, stories and resources to help YOU navigate your child’s unique experiences. We give you strategies to support yourself and your family through life’s challenges. We are so glad you are here. Child Life On Call | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Answering Parent Questions: How Do I Tell My Kids that I Have Cancer?   Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist gives you tips, language and things to consider when you’re telling children about a cancer diagnosis in the family.   We talk about:   +How to assess your child’s reaction to the news +Concrete language to describe cancer and chemotherapy +Ways to keep the conversation open-ended   Have you heard? The Child Life On Call mobile app for parents, kids and their care team will be available in 2022. Sign up to stay informed here. Child Life On Call is a community of parents and professionals that share ideas, stories and resources to help YOU navigate your child’s unique experiences. We give you strategies to support yourself and your family through life’s challenges. We are so glad you are here. Child Life On Call | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Episode 69 | Liza’s Story - A daugther with Lyme Disease “I don’t think I would have ever done the work on myself had it not been for my daughter’s struggle.” Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist talks with Liza Blas from Very Happy Stories. We talk about: +How Liza found her purpose and began her own healing journey +Liza believes her daughter's highly sensitive characteristics played into her chronic health issues +Resources to help other parents going through experiences like theirs Resources recommended in this episode for hospitalized families facing chronic health issues: Epidemic answers We are sponsored by: Jambo Books A Jambo Books subscription is like hitting the easy button for great diverse literature for your children. Every month, Jambo Books sends you 2 or 3 age-appropriate fiction books that star children of color. Jambo Books is a great gift for baby showers, birthdays, holidays or just because. Jambo serves children from birth to age 13. Have you heard? The Child Life On Call mobile a

“Being a child life specialist with this population is not just about supporting them through their hospital experience, its about preparing them for the rest of their life.” Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist talks with two child life specialists, Katie and Jessica, from the transplant team at MedStar Georgetown Hospital.  These essential members of the care team talk about: The ways they developmentally and emotionally support pediatric transplant families How they address hard questions for older teens who transition to adult care Why supporting infants is important to reduce the impact of medical trauma Resources recommended in this episode for hospitalized families: Hope for Henry Make-A-Wish Icing Smiles The Confetti Foundation We are sponsored by: Jambo Books A Jambo Books subscription is like hitting the easy button for great diverse literature for your children. Every month, Jambo Books sends you 2 or 3 age-appropriate fiction books that star children of color. Jambo Books is a great gift fo

“We had to learn everything we could because our son’s life was literally on the line.”   Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist talks with Todd and Morgan who just a few weeks after the birth of their first child were faced with the truth that he had a life threatening condition called Biliary Atresia. The cure? A liver transplant.   Despite the many challenges they faced, Todd and Morgan talk about:   +How they used family to be their “google doctors” +How to find your voice during bedside rounds +Why started a business called Child Life Coffee   *Sponsor: Jambo Books   A Jambo Books subscription is like hitting the easy button for great diverse literature for your children. Every month, Jambo Books sends you 2 or 3 age-appropriate fiction books that star children of color. Jambo Books is a great gift for baby showers, birthdays, holidays or just because. Jambo serves children from birth to age 13.   Have you heard? The Child Life On Call mobile app for parents, kids  and their care team will be available i

Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist is interviewed and asked about ways to support children of chronically ill or medically complex children.  Questions that Katie discusses include: +How to have hard conversations with children +How to keep siblings included and understood +When is the best time to have a baby after having a child with medical needs Madeline is the host of The Rare Life podcast and this episode is also featured on her show.  Have you heard? The Child Life On Call mobile app for parents, kids and their care team will be available in 2022. Sign up to stay informed here. Child Life On Call is a community of parents and professionals that share ideas, stories and resources to help YOU navigate your child’s unique experiences. We give you strategies to support yourself and your family through life’s challenges. We are so glad you are here. Child Life On Call | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

"I think this may be a parent's worst nightmare.”   Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist interviews Holly, mom to three children living in Northern California. Holly’s son, Austin, was typical until just after his 1st birthday, then started regressing in gross motor including balance and weak tone and eventually spasticity, which is their biggest concern to this day.   Holly has a sense of humor and outlook that will make you instantly feel connected to her and her family. She talks about the crazy amount of testing that Austin had to go through to find his diagnosis and she also shares stories of what NOT to say to parents who have kids with special needs. My favorite part of our conversation is when Holly talks about how she hates playgrounds but found a way to turn that passion into something for good, their foundation Walk With Austin.    Follow Walk with Austin: Instagram and Facebook Have you heard? The Child Life On Call mobile app for parents, kids and their care team will be available in 2022. Sign

"It's been rough. It's like your heart is in two different places." Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist interviews Madeline, a mom from Utah that shares her son’s experience with having a rare form of skeletal dysplasia and how her daughter has dealt with their journey. Madeline is host of The Rare Life podcast which was inspired by her son, Kimball after his arrival into the world. In this episode, Madeline walks us through what it’s been like for her daughter. Madeline is a fierce, inspiring and talented human who has an ability to connect with other parents and professionals. She reminds others often that “your feelings are valid, and you shouldn’t feel shame about them.”

Annie, Certified Child Life Specialist interviews Lindsey, mom to Memphis a son who suffered from Infant Botulism. Lindsey is an experienced mother of three when her son, Memphis, came into the world. She breastfed him like she had her others and when he started refusing to nurse and acting sleepy, she took him urgent care. After two urgent care visits had concluded that Memphis had a cold-virus, his symptoms continued and she took him to the ER where he was quickly diagnosed with Infant Botulism, which according to Kids Health.org is when when a baby ingests toxins is caused by a toxin (a poison) from Clostridium botulinum bacteria, which live in soil and dust and can also be found in honey.  In this episode, Lindsey talks about their hospital stay and how she managed to stay positive and alert during such a difficult time. Though recovery can be long, the doctors assured her that her son would fully recover from IB. She talks about how fortunate she feels that he has recovered and wants to urge parents to b

Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist interviews Dafne, The Chronic Illness Coach.   Dafne is mom to three college-age kids and she and her husband live in Houston, Texas. In this episode, we talk about how her children all suffer from chronic illness: Juvenile Type 1 Diabetes, Juvenile Psoriatic Arthritis and Juvenile Ankylosing Spondylitis. She describes how: *Finding a medical team who includes you as the parent is important *Searching for a tribe of people who understand is worth the effort *Small children who deal with lifelong chronic illness can thrive You can follow Dafne on Instagram, Facebook and buy her book.  Child Life On Call is a community of parents and professionals that share ideas, stories and resources to help YOU navigate your child’s unique experiences. We give you strategies to support yourself and your family through life’s challenges. We are so glad you are here. Child Life On Call | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist interviews Shay Shull from Mix & Match Mama. Shay is a cookbook author, lifestyle blogger, travel agency owner, wife and mama who loves making every day special for my family. Shay is mom to four kids and she and her husband live in McKinney, Texas. Today, we talk about her daughter Ashby and how their family copes with Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome (KTS). Ashby is one of her adopted children from China and has had over 22 surgeries since joining their family. She describes how: *Learning to navigate the intimidating healthcare system took time *Ashby’s optimistic attitude helps her implement coping skills to deal with pain *Their family was blessed with this sweet girl who has in turn prompted other families to adopt from China You can follow Shay on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Child Life On Call is a community of parents and professionals that share ideas, stories and resources to help YOU navigate your child’s unique experiences. We give you strategies to sup

Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist welcomes back Shani (a.k.a. Child Life Mommy) to the podcast.  Shani is a Certified Child Life Specialist who has a private practice in Northern California  and you can learn more about her community-based program in a previous episode here.  But, today Shani puts on her “mom hat” and talks about the journey of having a child with learning differences like #anxiety, #adhd, #dyslexia and #dysgraphia. She describes how: *She has had to learn to advocate to get her child the appropriate testing and IEP’s *Community plays an important role of getting the answers and support they need *The pandemic and virtual learning has been challenging for children with learning differences. The books Shani recommends are: Overcoming Dyslexia, The Dyslexia Empowerment, 8 Keys to Parenting Children with ADHD, Facebook groups, Understood.org, Barton reading programs, Wrights Law. You can follow Shani on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.  Child Life On Call is a community of parents and prof

Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist interviews Amanda, mom to two micro preemie twins born at 23 weeks.  Amanda and her husband met at Baylor University and had a normal pregnancy and delivery with their first son. Their second go at getting pregnant was not as easy and included fertility treatments, bed rest and an traumatic, emergent c-section at 23 weeks. She describes how: *Her faith was instrumental for getting through their experience *Detailed preparation from NICU team before hand helped her understand what was happening  *Creating community within the NICU setting (with both families and staff) was necessary for getting through. Child Life On Call is a community of parents and professionals that share ideas, stories and resources to help YOU navigate your child’s unique experiences. We give you strategies to support yourself and your family through life’s challenges. We are so glad you are here. Child Life On Call | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter