Inside the Children's Hospital

Today I get to introduce you to Moira, the host of Surviving the Waiting Room - a podcast based on her experiences from learning how to be an advocate for her teenage children as they started to figure out their health issues. Although they have diagnoses now, there are no exact tests for Celiac Disease or migraines, so Moira has gotten really good at finding people to help give her information. ...

For today's 12 minute talk, I'm interviewing Ashley McGaughy.  Ashley is a pediatric occupational therapist from Chicago, and she primarily works as an independent contractor with kids in intervention programs, ages zero to three.  She works on everything from play to daily life skills, and she gets to see kids both in their homes and in private community settings. She has a lot of expertise to of...

The Dad's Perspective: A Son with a Rare Genetic Disease   So there is this rock star in the podcast world, and her name is Effie Parks.  She hosts a podcast called Once Upon a Gene, inspired by her son who has a rare genetic disease.  Effie really focuses on the idea that disability is diversity, and that is an idea I try to put into practice professionally as well as personally.  Today, we are g...

For today's 12 minute talk, I'm talking about the COVID-19 vaccine and how to discuss it with kids.  I'm going to give you some ideas, with the caveat that you don't have to use the exact words I use.  You know your child best. This is also not meant to be an episode that tells you to get your child vaccinated. That is not my area of expertise.  You can discuss that with your child's doctor and yo...

Today I'm introducing you to Jenny Hull, a single mom to Josie who just turned 20 years old.  Jenny is also the CEO and founder of a nonprofit organization called Once Upon a Room.  They are changing the game for kids in hospitals, and we'll get into all the amazing things they do toward the end of our conversation.  Jenny is one of the most comforting and compassionate people I've ever had the pl...

For today's 12 minute talk, I'm interviewing Dr. Brittany Ferri.  She is an occupational therapist, and she has a passion for talking with kids about disabilities.  Brittany talks about her program, Social Fly, a social and motor skills curriculum that educates kids ages 5-12 about disabilities.  This program is great for parents, teachers, child life specialists, and anyone else who is interested...

It's an incredibly rare experience to sit next to someone else who "gets" what you're going through… exactly. That's what support groups are for, right? Well, today you're getting an inside look into what young adults who have experienced childhood cancer are saying in their support group. These amazing individuals were treated at Hershey Medical Center and now share their support group on a live...

I connected with one of today's guests, Brady, through our shared alma mater, Penn State University.  He has dealt with cancer not once, but twice, and he agreed to come on the podcast with his mother, Lisa.  I'm so honored to have both of them on the show to share their experiences, and to continue to spread awareness about this terrible disease during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. In this ep...

I'm so excited to have my friend Starlyn on the show today!  She and her husband have struggled with infertility for years, and she is here to share the miraculous story about having one embryo and ending up with four babies.  Today we will hear all about what it's like to be pregnant with quadruplets, to be separated from them (and her older daughter) in antepartum, and to be unable to visit them...

It's another day in September, which means we are going to be recognizing National Sickle Cell Awareness Month.  Sickle Cell Disease is an inherited blood disorder in which blood cells may become sickle shaped and harden, causing a lot of pain.  On this episode, I am bringing back Lisa's Story: A Daughter with Sickle Cell Disease.  I want to bring to light sicklecelldisease.org 's theme for 2021,...

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.  Over the last four-and-a-half years, I have had the opportunity and honor to interview many parents who are a part of a club that they didn't ask to be in.  There is a common bond when you can look at another parent and say you have been through exactly what they are going through. I wanted to go through some of the amazing stories we have been able...

When it comes to talking about cancer with kids, there is no one that compares to Holly Senn (Certified Child Life Specialist at Inova L.J. Murphy Children's Hospital). We're going to share some tips for parents, teachers, and anyone else who works with children, so that you can approach this serious topic in a really open, kind, and educational way.   In this episode, we talk about… [1:16] Holly'...

My guest this week is Taraneh, sharing her story about having a son with cleft palate.   In this episode, we talk about… [2:24] Taraneh's background and her family [3:54] Taraneh's pregnancy and birth experience with her son [5:23] Cleft palate and Pierre Robin Sequence diagnoses [12:35] Flexibility with feeding a baby with a cleft palate [15:40] Leaving the hospital and transferring care to a cli...

This episode is sponsored by SmileMakers. Use code ONCALL20 for 20% off your order of smile making stickers, toys, patient supplies, and more! This episode is also sponsored by Magic Mind, the World's First Productivity Drink Go here and enter code childlifeoncall20 for 20% off your order This is a quick 12-minute talk addressing how to prepare children for back-to-school.  My son is going into fi...

This episode is sponsored by SmileMakers. Use code ONCALL20 for 20% off your order of smile making stickers, toys, patient supplies, and more!   Meet Bonnie, her husband and her three adult children. Bonnie calls herself "the replacement kid" after her parents lost their son to Type 1 Diabetes. Because of their history, Bonnie was hyper aware of the signs and symptoms and ended up diagnosing her o...

Answering parent questions in a 12 minute talk.  This episode is sponsored by SmileMakers. Use code ONCALL25 for 20% off your order of smile making stickers, toys, patient supplies, and more! Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist gives specific language to use when talking with your child about an upcoming surgery. +When to bring up the topic before surgery day +Things to do prior to surgery to g...

"For me, it's balancing supporting him in full honor of his disabilities and making sure I am advocating for him AND relating to him as fully capable and strong." Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist talks with mom of four, life coach and podcast host, Kara Ryska .  Kara's son was diagnosed with a brain tumor shortly after he turned 18 months old. We talk about what it's like to hear that piece...

Answering parent questions in a 12 minute talk. Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist talks with Christine Bomberger, Music Therapist at Cleveland Clinic Children's . We talk about: +Why music therapy should be a staple in every children's hospital +An example of how "Baby Shark" helped a child through a painful dressing change +How you can seek out music therapists in your community Have you hea...

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 ta...

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 supp...

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 Pr...

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...

"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...

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...

Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist talks with Sara Olsher, mom, cancer survivor, and owner of  Mighty and Bright. Not only does Sara talk with us about getting diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 34, but she also talks about how she went through it as a single mother navigating life with a six-year-old. We talk about +How she advocated for herself and encourages parents to ask the same...