Brave Together Podcast: Support and Community for Caregiving Parents

Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today's story episode, #206. These are true stories from a moment in the life of a caregiving parent. We hear a crafted story, and then have a conversation with our guests that goes deeper into their experience. In this conversation, hosted by Dr. Zoe Shaw, Jess Ronne shares her profound journey as a caregiver, navigating the challenges of raising a child with...

Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today's practical episode, #205. These are conversations with experts in fields relevant to caregiving parents.  In this episode, Susanna Peace Lovell interviews Dr. Laura Froyen, who shares her journey as a parent and expert in human development. They discuss the challenges of parenting neurodiverse children, the importance of understanding different neurotype...

Hello Brave Friends! This is an Ask Us Anything episode in which YOU, the listener, get to write or call in and, you guessed it, ASK US ANYTHING!  In this Ask Us Anything episode, #204, we are responding to the question, How do I Talk to My Kids about Natural Disasters?  In this conversation, our hosts discuss the emotional impact of natural disasters and how to communicate effectively with childr...

Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today's practical episode, #203. These are conversations with experts in fields relevant to caregiving parents.  In this episode of the Brave Together Parenting Podcast, host Jessica Patay interviews Hilarie Geurink, a registered dietitian specializing in blended tube feeding. Hilarie shares her journey into this niche area of nutrition, discussing the challeng...

Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today's story episode, #202. These are true stories from a moment in the life of a caregiving parent. We hear a crafted story, and then have a conversation with our guests that goes deeper into their experience. In this conversation, Kari Baker shares her transformative journey from a successful career in financial services to becoming a dedicated advocate for...

Hello Brave Friends! This is an Ask Us Anything episode in which YOU, the listener, get to write or call in and, you guessed it, ASK US ANYTHING!  In this Ask Us Anything episode, #201, we are responding to the question, Am I alone in feeling like there is extra pressure on us caregiving mothers to be saint-like in our parenting? In this episode, the hosts celebrate the New Year and the start of S...

Hello, Brave Friends! Welcome to Season 8 of Brave Together Parenting, a helpful podcast for the parents of children all ages with all types of disabilities and diagnoses. Our mission is to provide you, the caregiving parent, with as many resources, relatable stories, and perspectives as possible so you can stop surviving and start thriving, or maybe a little bit of both.  This season we are offer...

Hello Brave Friends! This is story episode #182, about what can happen when parents presume competence in their non-verbal, autistic son.  Today we hear from Jason Hague about his experience accepting his autistic son Jack’s presumed intellectual disability, making peace with it, and then seeing a documentary that changed everything. Welcome to today's story episode: How Spelling Revealed a N...

You have to PRUNE to create room for real GROWTH, this is a sentiment gardeners understand but often busy parent caregivers forget. Are you making space in your life to experience peace? To exhale? To hear your own thoughts? In our busy world and even busier caregiving lives, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and out of touch with what we really require to thrive as human beings.  On this episode, host...

Did you know grief can be disenfranchised? Have you ever caught yourself welling up or feeling angry when parents of neurotypical, undisabled, healthy kids talk about the different milestones they’re experiencing with them? Do you judge yourself, feeling you should have accepted your child’s unique path by now? Well, you are NOT alone! In this practical episode, Jessica interviews Meghann Crane-Ru...

The holidays can be tough for everybody! We all get this extra large serving of commitments and expectations that can make enjoying anything feel off the table. Add the element of unique needs to this feast and now even the most organized and flexible person can feel downright defeated. Is there a fresh way to approach this? On today’s episode, Jessica interviews life coach, Margaret Webb, about s...

Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today's episode, #200! Can you believe it?! In this celebratory 200th episode, host Jessica Patay, with co-hosts Dr. Zoe Shaw and Susanna Peace Lovell chat with Clayton Frech and Bahar Soomekh, parents of Paralympic Gold-Medalist, Ezra Frech. They share their journey of parenting a child with a disability, discussing the importance of proactive parenting, solic...

Hello Brave Friends! On this Thriving Disabled Adults episode, #199, we are speaking to Thriving Disabled Adult, Jacob Pacheco, who shares his inspiring journey as an adaptive elite athlete and professional speaker. He discusses the challenges he faced growing up with cerebral palsy and how he transformed his struggles into a purpose-driven life.  In this fantastic interview, our guest Jacob empha...

Hello Brave Friends! This is an Ask Us Anything episode in which YOU, the listener, get to write or call in and, you guessed it, ASK US ANYTHING!  In this Ask Us Anything episode, #198, we are responding to the question, How do I outsource help so I’m not doing everything for myself, my Family and my neurodivergent child? In this conversation, we discuss the challenges of parenting, particularly f...

Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today's story episode, #197, in which we hear a story from brave mom and advocate, Abby Zachritz. In this conversation, Abby Zachritz shares her harrowing journey following a near-fatal accident involving her son, Wyatt. The discussion covers the emotional and medical challenges faced by Abby and her family, the miraculous recovery of Wyatt, and the profound im...

Hello Brave Friends! On this Thriving Disabled Adults episode, #196, we are speaking to Thriving Disabled Adult, Presbyterian minister and author, Caroline Cupp. In this conversation, Caroline Cupp shares her experiences growing up with cerebral palsy, the support she received from her parents, and her journey through life as a disabled individual. She discusses the importance of belonging, her ca...

Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today’s BONUS episode in which Jessica Patay, founder of We Are Brave Together and author, Kelley Coleman, join forces to chat with Director of Culture Change at Caring Across Generations, Lydia Storie.  In this conversation, Lydia Storie discusses her journey from the entertainment industry to becoming the Director of Culture Change at Caring Across Generations. Sh...

Hello Brave Friends! This is an Ask Us Anything episode in which YOU, the listener, get to write or call in and, you guessed it, ASK US ANYTHING!  In this Ask Us Anything episode, #195, we are responding to the question, “Will you tell us about some really hard or embarrassing moments you’ve had as a parent?" In this episode, Jessica Patay, Dr. Zoe Shaw, and Susanna Peace Lovell share their m...

Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today's story episode, #194. These are true stories from a moment in the life of a caregiving parent. We hear a crafted story, and then have a conversation with our guests that goes deeper into their experience. In this episode of the Brave Together Parenting Podcast, host Jessica Patay interviews Hannah Zorn, who shares her family's journey through medica...

Hello Brave Friends! On this Thriving Disabled Adults episode, #193, we are speaking to Thriving Disabled Adult, Tiffany Yu, who at age nine, was in a car accident that left her right arm permanently paralyzed, and also took the life of her father. I think you're going to love this interview. Tiffany is so open about her courageous journey from the accident to finding her voice and community...

Hello Brave Friends! This is an Ask Us Anything episode in which YOU, the listener, get to write or call in and, you guessed it, ASK US ANYTHING!  In this Ask Us Anything episode, #192, we are responding to the question, What wisdom and encouragement do you have for women who are mothering without a mother? In this tender conversation, Jessica Patay, Dr. Zoe Shaw, and Susanna Peace Lovell explore...

Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today's story episode, #191. These are true stories from a moment in the life of a caregiving parent. We hear a crafted story, and then have a conversation with our guests that goes deeper into their experience. Today we actually have TWO guests, Sandy and Chris Colter. They are a couple and they both wrote stories about their struggles with depression while ra...

Hello Brave Friends! On this Thriving Disabled Adults episode, #190, we chat with Ryanna Hammond. Once plagued with anxiety, depression and multiple eating disorders, Ryanna used journaling, therapy, nature and exercise to turn her life around.   While anxiety and depression aren’t usually under the umbrella of disability we talk about here, we know more and more of our community, and their childr...

Hello Brave Friends! This is an Ask Us Anything episode in which YOU, the listener, get to write or call in and, you guessed it, ASK US ANYTHING!  In this Ask Us Anything episode, #189, we are responding to the question, Do you have any tips for navigating life with a disabled child after a divorce? This is a VERY relevant topic for our community because the added stress of caregiving for disabled...

Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today's story episode, #188. These are true stories from a moment in the life of a caregiving parent. We hear a crafted story, and then have a conversation with our guests that goes deeper into their experience. Today's guest is Joanne De Simone, and she's a graduate of Hunter College in New York with degrees in dance and special education. She has tw...