Empowered by Hope

Send us a text, we want to hear from you! You are your child's voice and the primary individual who knows your child best. Therefore, you have the honor and privilege, and also incredibly challenging and sometimes overwhelming task, to be your child's advocate for his/her medical needs.  What does pediatric patient advocacy mean?  How do you step into that role when you have no medical b...

Send us a text, we want to hear from you! After five years of struggling with chronic and acute pain with her daughter, Emily shares her breakthrough moment that happened this week, finally discovering the answers their family has sought for addressing Charlotte's pain. Through trial and error, and many frustrations and setbacks, Emily is learning first-hand what it means to be your child&apo...

Send us a text, we want to hear from you! Join Emily & Ashlyn as they sit down to talk about the scary reality of medical bills, navigating insurance and where to get help. You’ll hear the fears they each faced, the lessons learned, and gain helpful recommendations on how best to approach the management of medical bills.  While Emily and Ashlyn don’t work in insurance, nor claim to be experts,...

Send us a text, we want to hear from you! It all started with a text between two long-distance friends and quickly evolved into the formation of Charlotte’s Hope Foundation, Inc. In this episode you’ll hear how the passion of two moms turned into the creation of this 501(c)(3) that’s dedicated to supporting, encouraging and educating parents and caregivers of children with complex medical needs. Y...

Send us a text, we want to hear from you! When your child suffers with illness, treatment plans and pain from their complex medical needs, it’s natural to wonder why God would allow this. Whether consciously or not, and even whether Christian or not, many parents and caregivers find themselves wondering this question—why does God allow my child to suffer. There is nothing like childhood illness th...

Send us a text, we want to hear from you! Get the behind-the-scenes details about the new book She is Charlotte: A mother’s physical, emotional, and spiritual journey with her child with medical complexities . In this episode, founding partner Ashlyn Thompson interviews author Emily K. Whiting, asking questions like: Who is this book written for,  What’s the premise of the book, What was Emily’s f...

Send us a text, we want to hear from you! One of the first things we are tempted to do when we learn our child is not healthy is to search for answers on Google. While the internet can be a great tool for researching diagnoses and medical challenges, it also can be dangerous and lead you to a whole lot more worry and distress than necessary.  In this episode Emily and Ashlyn teach you the many way...

Send us a text, we want to hear from you! Many people say "let me know how I can help" or "call me if you need anything." They genuinely want to support you through your family's challenging situation but aren't quite sure how. And, let's face it, oftentimes we on the receiving end of the offer for help often don't know what support we need either.  In this...

Send us a text, we want to hear from you! Raising a child with medical complexities puts immense strain on relationships. Partners experience their child's diagnosis and the subsequent medical interventions differently. In this episode Daniel Whiting joins Emily Whiting to openly discuss how he as the husband and father processes things differently than she, and how having grace with each oth...

Send us a text, we want to hear from you! In the myriad of medical challenges, diagnoses and complexities, it's easy to lose sight of the unique, beautiful and cherished life that is your child. In this episode Ashlyn and Emily explore practical ways to remind you and your medical care team of the gift your child is. Parents and caregivers of course know their child is a treasured individual...

Send us a text, we want to hear from you! Initially sharing the news of your child's diagnosis with family and friends, and subsequently keeping your circle of supporters informed as things evolve, can be an overwhelming and emotionally taxing job. Yet, building your support system to sustain you through these challenging times is key, so how do you do it?  In this episode we discuss practica...

Send us a text, we want to hear from you! Feelings of inadequacy, inability and overwhelm can crowd our minds and instill fear in us as parents and caregivers as we think about all our child may need for his/her medical complexities. You wonder, can I really do this?  In this episode, we address some of the most common fears that can paralyze you and learn basic tips to overcome these feelings of...

Send us a text, we want to hear from you! Many parents experience overwhelming guilt when they receive news of a medical diagnosis for their child.  Tune into this episode to learn how to address the emotions hiding beneath the guilt, and how to move forward as the strong capable advocate you want to be for your son or daughter. We kindly ask that you share this podcast with other families who mig...

Send us a text, we want to hear from you! Being a parent or caregiver for a child with any type of medical diagnosis is beyond hard, terrifying and often, traumatic.  Ashlyn and Emily open up about their own early experiences with their daughters' medical diagnoses and what compelled them to come together to form Charlotte's Hope Foundation and the Empowered by Hope podcast.  This episod...