Hope and Will: A Parenting Podcast from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

For families affected by food allergies, every school drop-off is laced with anxiety: Will today be the day my child goes into anaphylactic shock without me there to protect them? In this episode, we’re joined by Susan Goldberg, whose daughter Julia suffers from life-threatening food allergies, as well as Dr. Brian Vickery, Children’s Chief of Allergy and Immunology and leader of our Food Allergy...

As we close our first season and head into a brief summer hiatus, we leave you with an unforgettable conversation: never-before-told stories about our furry fleet of facility dogs. As you may or may not know, a team of innovators right here at Children’s pioneered the first facility dog program ever at a stand-alone pediatric hospital. In this episode, you’ll learn what it takes to become a facili...

We know: You probably don’t want to read the word s-n-a-k-e-s, let alone listen to a podcast about them. But if you live in Georgia and your family spends time outside, this is worth a listen.  Andrea Childers’ kids were playing basketball in their driveway when a loose ball riled up a hidden copperhead. Her then-6-year-old son, Zander, was bitten on his forearm. Andrea joins us to discuss the cha...

For their family’s spring break, Julvonnia McDowell and her husband drove their sons to Savannah, Ga., to spend time with family. Four days into their trip, she received a terrifying phone call from her oldest son: His little brother had been shot. A cousin had found a loaded gun hidden in a clothes drawer. Assuming it was empty, he unintentionally fired it, sending a bullet into his cousin’s ches...

Harry Miller seemed to have it all: a 4.0 GPA, a full athletic scholarship to Ohio State University and a promising career as a football star. Beneath the picture-perfect surface, the former Buford High School valedictorian couldn’t shake the urge to take his own life. In 2022, he turned in his jersey, took his story public and became an overnight advocate for mental health. In this emotional epis...

Shortly after running up a flight of stairs, 13-year-old Collin suffered cardiac arrest at school. Now his parents are on a mission to ensure that other schools and youth-minded organizations are equipped with the resources that helped save their son. Collin and his mom, Meghann, join us to share harrowing details from the day that changed their family forever. We then talk to Dr. Robert Whitehill...

Is your family getting clobbered by back-to-back illnesses? Dr. Andi Shane, our Division Chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, discusses the mechanics behind high volumes of infections in our communities. She’ll share top places germs love to hide, and leave you with clear tips to try to keep those germs at bay. Should illness make its way into your home, Dr. Preeti Jaggi, our Director of Antibi...

When a child is sick, we yearn to do something— anything —to support the child and their family. Lex had just started fifth grade when he was diagnosed with leukemia. He and his mom, Ashley, join us to answer questions we’re often timid to ask of those on a medical journey. Should you visit in person, pick up the phone or send a card? What are the best gifts to receive in the hospital? What’s a go...

It’s the Murphy’s Law of parenting: Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong outside of normal business hours . When your child has an injury or illness, it’s easy to go straight to panic mode. Can it wait until your pediatrician is available, or is it time to head to an urgent care center or a hospital’s emergency department? Dr. Mark Griffiths, a pediatric emergency medicine physician, and Moni...

Find yourself saying, “Just one more bite?” Have a kid who’s stuck on plain pasta with parmesan? Fresh out of snack ideas? Katherine Shary, a registered and licensed dietitian from our Strong4Life team, joins us for an engaging conversation about how to make mealtimes less stressful for everyone at your table—without becoming a short-order cook. From meals to snacks, Katherine dishes out tips to h...

These are historically challenging times to be a parent. In recent years, we’ve helped our kids through a pandemic, quarantining and virtual schooling—while also navigating tough conversations about shootings in schools, grocery stores and places of worship. And that’s on top of day-to-day stressors related to academics, sports and social pressures. Even those who’ve never before experienced much...

Rachel had done everything right, or so she thought. She and her husband enabled parental controls on their devices. They regularly initiated conversations with their daughters about internet safety. Still, an innocent click on a pop-up connected their second grader with an online predator. In this eye-opening episode, Rachel shares her family's experience and Angie Boy, DrPH, from our Stephanie V...

It only takes 30 seconds. That’s what Melissa Gibson learned when her toddler disappeared from the couch, only to be found moments later, floating face down in her grandparents’ swimming pool. Thanks to a perfect concert of miracles, the Gibson family’s story has a happy ending. In this first episode of Hope and Will, Dr. Sarah Lazarus, whose workday home is in a pediatric emergency department, jo...

Welcome to Hope and Will: A Parenting Podcast from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. We’re here to ease the minds of moms and dads by serving up doses of insight from pediatric specialists and real stories from parents like you. By combining medical smarts with practical experience, our goal is to help make the journey from diapers to diplomas a little less scary, helping you raise healthier, more...