Inside the Children's Hospital

As a NICU Dad, Alex Zavala share his perspective and critical role as a father on today's episode of the podcast. Alex shares so many moments along his journey that impacted him and gives advice to fellow NICU dads out there. This episode is for you too moms and partners-- you will learn more about the dad perspective and how to support your spouse. [3:32] Alex shares about his family [7:39] Givin...

On today's episode of the podcast, Emily Lemke shares how to stay organized as a medical parent. Emily's expertise comes from being a medical parent herself and a clinical social worker. She shares about her own journey navigating the world of being a medical parent and the passion behind creating The Medical Mama Compass . You will learn how to manage everything that comes with this title without...

Swapnil, father of two, shares on this episode of the podcast about his daughter, Anya, who has severe food allergies.  Swapnil shares about Anya's first symptoms of a food allergy and the event that revealed the severity of her allergies. Whether you are a parent or Clinician, you will gain so much understanding and knowledge about food allergies by listening to Swapnil's story. [2:10] Value of r...

Hannah bravely shares how her two young daughters developed febrile seizures. Although febrile seizures are common, it is something that isn't talked about enough. Hannah will shed some light for families walking through this diagnosis and provide you with ways to navigate the practicality and emotions that come along with it. [2:47] Hannah introduces her family [4:45] Sharing symptoms and instinc...

 " It was like I was leaving home with a newborn because I had no idea what to do. We were in survival mode for those 3 days in the hospital. It was just nothing that I ever expected to be dealing with.'-Melanie Smith Melanie shares how she learned of her daughter's diagnosis of type 1 diabetes when her daughter was 18 months old. She so vulnerably shares their journey from diagnosis to life at ho...

"A patient becomes so vulnerable with them because they don't even realize what they are doing. When you are in that moment petting the dog, every emotion, feeling and thought runs free because you aren't having to focus on a conversation, it is so natural." -Shelby Bonnet, CCLS Shelby Bonnet, a certified Child Life Specialist and Animal Assisted Therapy Coordinator, shares how facility dogs are u...

On todays episode, we will hear from Rita Ho-Bezzola, CEO and Founder of Piper + Enza: A Covid-19 inspired health and happiness company for kids. Rita shares her inspiration behind Piper + Enza and how her goal is to make common health experiences positive for children and parents. You will not want to miss this episode!  [2:30] Sharing about her family [6:14] How Covid-19 was her inspiration crea...

On today's episode of the podcast we hear from Lauren about her son's diagnosis of Aicardi-Goutieres Syndrome (AGS.) She shares how her uneventful pregnancy followed by a NICU stay and numerous hospital visits with unanswered questions eventually resulted in a diagnosis. Lauren shares how coaching changed her life and how she is now a life coach for mothers of children with disabilities. [4:32] Ho...

"It's not a time to say I'm sorry, It's a time to acknowledge that, yes in fact you had something you did not plan for, a traumatic event. But also you did have a baby and to step into that joy and gratitude and not lose sight of those things.-Jamie Cline Jamie shares how her daughter Callie has persevered with tetralogy of fallot and later on a limb loss. She learned about her daughter's tetralog...

Judith shares how one of her twins was born with albinisim and how she stayed positive during the diagnosis and beyond. This episode will absolutely touch your heart, Judith is a natural story teller and captures hows she embraced her daughter's albinism and has seen the beauty through it all. [3:15] Judith shares her busy life and routine with the twins [6:25] She shares about her high risk her t...

"I've connected with food allergy patients and we have all come together. That is the most important thing, to make sure that nobody feels alone."-Rebekah Wallace Rebekah shares her life today as a teen with food allergies. This episode brings perspective to our listeners about how we can take our challenges and turn them into advocacy and awareness. Rebekah, shares her first memories of having fo...

"I really feel like I'm paying forward with everything that I lived and everything I've experienced as a professional. My program is my heart in a basket for them."- Dr. Michelle Hu, Audiologist Dr. Michelle Hu shares how she was diagnosed as hard of hearing as a young child and what lead her to become an audiologist. This episode is packed full of wisdom.  [3:12] Michelle's teacher encourages her...

Tanisha tells a story of strength and perseverance as her son Jaleel was born with a lower urinary tract obstruction. T his story highlights the powerful ways Tanisha and her husband, Quentin work together as a team for Jaleel and their family. From her experiences in the NICU and beyond, Tanisha created a community to support NICU Medical Moms.  [3:52] The journey to motherhood for Tanisha  [6:13...

Paola shares the shocking diagnosis her son received as a newborn of ADA-SCID (Severe Combined Immunodeficiency.) This powerful story a he shares how she navigated hospital life during the beginning of the pandemic and her journey with postpartum depression. She shares words of wisdom on how to deal with the feelings that come when your child gets a life altering diagnosis.  [5:22] Paola describes...

"Never listen when they tell you your child will not, encourage them to do the best they can do"- Belinda Hammond, CCLS Belinda shares her son's journey with low tone, epilepsy and autism and how her professional and personal experiences collided, giving her an invaluable perspective as a parent and professional. This episode is in our top 5 most downloaded episodes to date. [4:39] Belinda notices...

This episode originally aired in March 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic. This topic is so important and rightfully so, it is our 2nd most downloaded episode of all time. When it comes to COVID-19, how we inform our children is incredibly important. If you're wondering how we can talk to our kids about COVID-19 when we as adults still don't know exactly what's happening, you're not alone. This...

On this episode of the podcast, you will hear an amazing story of resilience and hope. This episode originally aired back in August of 2020. This is the most shared of all of our podcast episodes; you will quickly learn why after listening to this inspiring story. Meet Maura Senneff, mom to sweet Ryan. Ryan is a thriving 8-year-old boy who has Down syndrome. The amazing advocate by his side, his m...

Episode 127 | Courtney's Story - A daughter born at 25 weeks [MOST DOWNLOADED] At just 25 weeks pregnant, Courtney was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia and was hospitalized. Just 5 days later and after a terrifying emergent c-section, she would meet her daughter, McKenzie. In this episode, Courtney talks about her entire experience from her own hospitalization and her daughter's 5-month stay in the NI...

Episode 126 | Supporting Children in Hospice On this week's episode, Shani Thornton, CCLS,  from Child Life Mommy shares how to support children in hospice. Shani wears many different hats in the Child Life world including supporting children in the hospice setting .Shani shares how to connect with children during this difficult time and ways to explain things that are honest and easy to understan...

This week's episode is a throwback from Katie's June 2021 interview with Child Life Wild Life host, Jessica Lewin, who was also recently a guest on Child Life On Call. In this episode, you will learn about how Katie's experiences as a child life specialist and a new mother influenced each other in the most positive ways. From sharing her 'why' about podcasting, to preparing her own children for me...

In this episode, we will hear from Laura about navigating hospital life and finding the balance between caring for her family and taking care of herself. She focuses on the importance of self care and how it has made her be the best version of herself. Laura shares how life after the hospital doesn't have this glamorous feeling but is another marathon in itself. In this episode, she speaks on the...

Friends, you are not going to want to miss this episode! On today's episode of the podcast,we hear about Laura's Birth story and the beginning of her son Trey's journey with congenital Leukemia. Laura shares the raw emotion and grief when she and her husband learn of Trey's diagnosis. She goes intimately into detail about her first time seeing her newborn son, how it broke her to her core and how...

On today's episode of the podcast, we will hear from Ryan Judd, Music Therapist and creator of Cool Koala. In this episode, Ryan places an emphasis on helping our children develop gratitude, compassion and learning how to cope with our worries. He shares how music helps children feel relaxed and how having the practice of guided meditation can carry into creating healthy habits for children as the...

This episode is sponsored by SmileMakers! On today's episode, Annie Jones, CCLS is our guest host! We will hear from Sarah about her daughter Adalee having an ischemic stroke with no pre-existing conditions. With strokes, the recovery process is different for every individual and doctors initially thought she may not have a full recovery. Sarah shares how her faith got her through this period of t...

This episode is sponsored by SmileMakers   Abbie Pabon and Emily Enstad share their motherhood journeys through the pandemic, how it shaped their careers and how they created a company that gives hands on tools to help children regulate and express their emotions. In this episode, you will learn more about:   +Learn how to empower children with tools and strategies they can access in moments of dy...