Inside the Children's Hospital

Today we have a guest co-host AND a guest! Our guest co-host is Sehreen Noorali, and you may remember her from Episode 112 of the podcast. Her younger daughter has some medical needs and has been through neurosurgery. Like Sehreen, our guest Michelle has also spent her fair share of time in the rehab setting. Her son, Gideon, was born with heart defects that required hospitalization.   In this epi...

I'm bringing you a quick episode about a commonly asked question. This topic also happens to be one of our most downloaded resources on the website (in case you didn't know, you can get free downloadable resources here !) We're talking about how to get your kids to take medicine - liquid, pills, eye drops, and more. In this episode, I talk about… [1:37] Helping ourselves to help our children [2:12...

This is a very worthy repost episode, as April is Limb Difference Awareness Month. We first shared Ashlyn's story over a year ago, but I wanted to bring it back. The two things that I continue to take away from this story is the true partnership between Ashlyn and her husband, as well as the importance of having fun with the cards you're dealt. I encourage you to listen to her story, follow her on...

Today's guest expert is Jessica Lewin, a child life specialist in the school setting. We talk about some of the key concepts that she wants parents to know are affecting their middle and high schoolers. Jessica and I discuss suicide, the impact of school attendance, and tweens' and teens' psychosocial roles within their social systems.   In this episode, we talk about… [2:09] Jessica's background...

When parents feel empowered, everyone wins – kids thrive and the care team excels! Links and Resources: SupportSpot Website Download SupportSpot iOS or Android 85 % of users report high satisfaction, appreciating the SupportSpot app's comprehensive resources and user-friendly interface. 92 %  of parent users say the SupportSpot app's helped them understand medical procedures and treatment better....

Today's guest expert is my mother, Jane Donovan, who is a child abuse advocate. She is here to provide tangible ways to make this concept less scary and to empower kids and parents. We want to leave you feeling confident about how to teach kids about child abuse. In this episode, we talk about… [3:50] Jane's background and her passion for advocacy [8:48] Using puppets to talk to kids about child a...

Today I'm talking with Amy, who discovered her son had a brain tumor after noticing something different about his eye one morning. The brain has a lot of jobs, and it has affected his everyday life in many ways. Amy is an incredible mom, and she shares their story so beautifully. Her ultimate goal is to support other parents going through similar things. In this episode, we talk about… [2:19] Amy'...

March is Child Life month, and I wanted to feature some amazing organizations that are doing so much to support children and families in crisis. A few weeks back, I had the opportunity to interview an expert in the field of Child Life about the impact of disasters on children and families (episode 105). Child Life Disaster Relief is an organization that empowers and supports children and families...

March is Child Life month, and I wanted to feature some amazing organizations that are doing so much to support children and families in crisis. A few weeks back, I had the opportunity to interview an expert in the field of Child Life about the impact of disasters on children and families (episode 105). Child Life Disaster Relief is an organization that empowers and supports children and families...

Today I am introducing you to Dr. Jin Lee, a licensed clinical psychologist with experience working in hospitals. She now has her own private practice, and she specializes with teens who have functional neurological or post-concussion disorders. You will hear some great information and feedback from Dr. Lee about how to support teens through chronic pain. In this episode, we talk about… [1:54] Dr....

Today we have another story from a heart mama. I wanted to fit them all into February, but I couldn't quite make it. So we are just creeping into March here with Dimitra and her story. Her son also had transposition of the great arteries (TGA), which we heard about in last week's episode. It's interesting to see where the two stories are parallel and where they differ.  In this episode, we talk ab...

Here we are in the last week of February, which is heart month, and I am so honored to bring you Melissa's story. We have discussed other heart defects before, such as tetralogy of fallot and hypoplastic left heart syndrome. This is the first time we are talking about transposition of the great arteries, or TGA. TGA is diagnosed in utero and requires surgery within days. I know Melissa's story wil...

Julie May has been a child life specialist for almost 20 years. She is here today to talk with us about how to talk to and support kids who have an adult in their lives who has an illness.  Julie talks about what Wonders and Worries does, and what is accessible for families today. You can get support anywhere in the United States completely for free! You won't want to miss this episode, because Ju...

Today's guest, Elizabeth, had never heard of PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infection) when her son was diagnosed with it. PANDAS is a tough diagnosis, because some doctors believe in it while others do not.  Having a child with this diagnosis that only some doctors believe in is incredibly hard to navigate, to say the least.  PANDAS is an aut...

Today's 12 minute talk became a 20+ minute talk, and Cara Smith and I discussed how parents can connect with their children after a disaster. Cara is an amazing pioneer in the child life field, and she has valuable tips both for child life specialists as well as for parents in the wake of a natural disaster, a pandemic, or any other stressful event. In this episode, we talk about… [1:41] Cara's ba...

Today's guest is Maureen, and she found out at her 20 week ultrasound that her daughter had clubfoot. She shares what families have to endure when confronted with a child with clubfoot. You'll hear about B and B (boots and bar), serial casting, surgeries, doctors' visits, and the amount of parent intervention that has to take place in the first four to five years of these kids' lives.  In this epi...

For today's 12 minute talk, I'm speaking with Kat Harrison. At the end of 2021, I shared Kat's episode (episode 99) in which she talked about what it was like being a teenager with chronic illness.  During that episode, we touched on what helped her the most when she was a teenager in the hospital and how to support adolescents coping with different medical or mental challenges.  I'm so excited to...

Today's guest is Betsy, from an organization called Hope for HIE (Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy). HIE refers to brain injury in an infant, and Betsy will share more specifics about the condition and her family's experience with it  in our discussion. I originally learned about this organization through working in the NICU here in Texas, and it is a wonderful source of support for parents struggl...

As we kick off the new year, my guest Christiana is sharing the story of her son's osteosarcoma. Nathaniel has passed away, but his family created Nathaniel's Childhood Cancer Foundation in his name and legacy. Christiana walks us through his experience with osteosarcoma from the beginning, and she shares details about his battles with childhood cancer. In this episode, we talk about… [1:27] Intro...

It's the 100th episode!  Today I'm opening up a bit and letting you get to know more about me as well as more about what a child life specialist does.  I will be sharing my thoughts about the holiday season, and then I will answer some questions about child life.   In this episode, I talk about… [2:57] The child life perspective on dealing with holiday feelings [7:21] A commonly held belief about...

My guest today, Kat, is sharing her story as a child and now as an adult with chronic illness. I think it's important for us to change our perspective a bit and hear what the patient has to say. Kat is the community manager at The Mighty, and she has also written two children's books: Migraine and Mia and Surgery on Sunday. She is such a creative spirit, and she gets really honest with us about wh...

Happy December!  I'm changing things up a big this week, and sharing my discussion with Meg and Jess from Friends with Fros.  I first interviewed them in June 2020, so please feel free to go back and listen to their anti-racism and diversity episode before enjoying this conversation.  Meg and Jess host a podcast called Don't Worry 'Bout My Hair, and they also hold dual certifications as child life...

My guest today, Samarrah, is sharing her story about her son being diagnosed with a brain tumor. I encourage you to be present as you listen to her story and take the wisdom she is offering. In this episode, we talk about… [1:49] Introducing Samarrah and her family [2:53] Getting the diagnosis of an ependymoma brain tumor [6:19] Processing the brain tumor diagnosis [8:44} Treatment for ependymoma...

My guest today is Carrie Holt. Carrie is one of those people who, when you talk to her, you feel like you've known her your whole life AND it feels like you're there in the room with her.  She has such a great perspective on having a child with a diagnosis and special needs, and she also hosts a podcast called Take Heart Special Mom.  I'll be sharing a bit about what I'm grateful for this Thanksgi...

Meet the author, Priscilla Morgan. She gives us exactly what we need to know to start a gratitude journal with kids, without making it a chore.  She teaches us how to find the emotional connection with gratitude to make it meaningful, as well as the power of what gratitude can do now and in the future. Gratitude Journal for Kids by Priscilla Morgan is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. In t...