Tiny Little Hearts Podcast: CHD and Heart Mom Life

If you're a heart parent navigating congenital heart disease, you know that the journey is rarely a straight line — and neither is building a community around it. In this special solo episode, Katelyn closes out Season 1 of Tiny Little Hearts with a heartfelt thank you to the CHD parenting community that has grown around this show. Over the past year, Tiny Little Hearts has become a space whe...

Summary:  In this episode, Katelyn sits down with Katie Taylor — certified child life specialist, co-founder and CEO of Child Life On Call, author, speaker, and host of Inside the Children's Hospital podcast — for a deeply honest conversation about caregiver burnout. Katie has spent over 15 years working at the bedside of children's hospitals and supporting families through some of their...

31. My Top 5 Takeaways From Advocating For CHD on Capitol Hill Summary:  In this episode, Katelyn McMahan shares her top five takeaways from attending the National CHD Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C. — her very first advocacy trip to Capitol Hill. As a member of the Every Hundredth Heart Coalition, Katelyn joined patients, heart parents, clinicians, researchers, and advocates from across the c...

In this episode, Katelyn sits down with Tim Nelson, MD, PhD and CEO of HeartWorks — a nonprofit at the forefront of congenital heart disease (CHD) innovation. What unfolds is a candid, unflinching look at why the healthcare system is failing CHD patients and families, and what it's actually going to take to change it. The conversation covers HeartWorks' groundbreaking cell-based tissue e...

This Mother's Day episode is dedicated to every heart mom navigating the unique weight of medical motherhood and congenital heart disease parenting. Katelyn reflects on honoring the heart moms who came before us — including her own grandmother, an unsung CHD mom from the 1950s — and opens up about grieving the motherhood experience you didn't get when your child is medically complex. She...

Summary: Today, Katelyn sits down with Staci Reznik — mom to 10-year-old Davi, advocate, and someone who knows firsthand that no amount of medical expertise can prepare you for the moment you become a patient. Staci's story is uniquely layered: her husband is a cardiothoracic surgeon, and she spent years working on the facilities side of healthcare. Together, they had built their careers insi...

This week on Tiny Little Hearts, Katelyn sits down with Alison Winter — host of the Trauma Mamas podcast — for a special host-to-host conversation. Both are navigating medically complex motherhood from different diagnoses (CHD and BPD), but their journeys share more in common than you'd expect. Alison's son Donny was born at 28 weeks, weighing one pound twelve ounces, and spent nearly tw...

What happens when the pregnancy you dreamed of looks nothing like the one you're living? In this solo episode, Katelyn gets honest about something that doesn't get talked about enough in the medical motherhood world — grieving the pregnancy and birth you didn't get, even when your baby is still here. After receiving her daughter Goldie's congenital heart disease (CHD) diagnosis...

In this episode, host Katelyn McMahan sits down with Liz Gaston — heart mom, CHD advocate, and co-founder of Project 1 in 100 — for a deeply honest conversation about life after a prenatal congenital heart disease diagnosis. Liz shares her journey raising her four-year-old son Ben, who was born with single ventricle heart disease, double outlet right ventricle (DORV), and has completed all three s...

In this episode, I’m joined by Lauren and Lauren. One, a heart mom, and the other, an adult CHDer. For Lauren Watson and Lauren Bednarz, that one message 13 years ago became the foundation of one of the deepest friendships either of them has ever known. We talk about how they found each other, what it looked like to build a real friendship virtually before it was "normal" to do so, and w...

Summary: Every CHD parent remembers the moment the world stopped. The diagnosis. The surgery date. The waiting room. But what happens to the family holding it all together while their child is in the OR? In this episode, Katelyn sits down with Conner Hill, co-founder of Stronger Hearts Foundation, to talk about his son Dawson's diagnosis of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) at 20 weeks,...

Summary In this episode, Katelyn has a conversation with her 9 year old daughter, Lila, who shares about her experience being a sibling of a child with heart problems. She shares insights on family resilience, emotional processing and caring for her sister, Goldie. Lila gives insight to the emotional impact it had on her and her other sister Maeve, as well as what was helpful for them when process...

Summary In this conversation, Katelyn discusses how to prepare for cardiology appointments, focusing on the importance of being armed with questions and emotional readiness. She emphasizes the need for preparation in three key areas: understanding changes in health, logistical arrangements for the appointment, and emotional readiness to advocate for oneself or your child. Katelyn also shares pract...

In this episode, Katelyn McMahan discusses the often-overlooked topic of caregiver burnout, sharing her personal experiences and insights. She emphasizes the commonality of burnout among caregivers, the emotional toll it takes, and the importance of recognizing its triggers and signs. Katelyn offers practical strategies for self-care and highlights the significance of building a supportive communi...

In this conversation, Katelyn McMahan and her husband discuss the challenges of maintaining a strong marriage while navigating the complexities of raising medically complex children. They share personal experiences, strategies for communication, the importance of support systems, and the necessity of prioritizing both individual and marital well-being amidst caregiver burnout. The discussion empha...

In this episode, host Katelyn McMahan welcomes Sarah Boes to celebrate the release of Sarah's children's book, 'Meadow and Her Four Leaf Clover Heart' launching February 8th, 2026. Together, they explore how the right story at the right time can truly change everything for a child navigating life with a congenital heart defect. Sarah opens up about the inspiration behind her bo...

In this episode, Katelyn McMahan speaks with Jeff Thibault, co-founder of Parenting Special Kids Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting families raising children with disabilities in Arizona. Jeff shares his personal journey, detailing the challenges he and his wife Debbie faced while raising their daughter Claire, who has an intellectual disability and anxiety disorder. Their e...

Lindsay Alano and her mother Susan Barth share their journey through congenital heart disease, the challenges of growing up with a serious medical condition, and the transformative experience of undergoing a heart and liver transplant as an adult. Lindsay shares about an experience in college what turned out to be the catalyst for her transplant journey. They discuss the importance of family suppo...

In this conversation, Katelyn discusses some of the things she has thought about continuing in the new year, and some things that she hopes to leave behind. She reflects on her experiences as a parent of a medically complex child, particularly during the holiday season. She discusses the importance of resilience, community support, and the need to embrace small joys while navigating the challenges...

In this powerful episode, Katelyn sits down with Garrett Deiro, a congenital heart disease (CHD) survivor who has a diagnosis of Tetralogy of Fallot and founder of Hearts Like Mine blog. Garrett opens up about his journey through four open heart surgeries, including a life-threatening emergency procedure at age 13 that profoundly shaped his life and years later, has been an instrumental aspect of...

In this personal episode, host Katelyn shares details about the feeding journey- from challenges to small wins with her daughter Goldie, who was born with congenital heart defects (CHDs). From navigating tube dependence to completing an intensive feeding therapy program, Katelyn opens up about one of the most isolating aspects of caring for a medically complex child. If you're a heart parent...

This episode could truly be a game changer for our CHD community. As parents and patients, we spend so much time navigating the challenges of congenital heart disease in the present — managing appointments, procedures, and uncertainty. But many of us also think about the future. How can we help our children grow into adults who confidently manage their own care? How can adult patients find the res...

In this solo episode, Katelyn opens up about a topic that many medical moms experience but rarely talk about: the profound isolation that comes with transitioning from hospital to home. While everyone celebrates discharge day, the reality of caring for a medically complex child at home can feel incredibly lonely—even when surrounded by support. Katelyn shares her personal experience navigating lif...

In this conversation, Katelyn McMahan speaks with Allison Millar, a fellow heart mom, about her daughter Cora's journey with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). Cora is now three and a half, and has undergone two surgeries. Allison and Katelyn discuss the challenges of navigating interstage care, the emotional weight of a prenatal diagnosis, and the importance of community support. Alliso...

In this conversation, Katelyn McMahan speaks with Amelia Woods, a fellow heart mom and founder of Heart Like a Mother. They discuss Amelia's son Henderson's journey with congenital heart defects, the importance of community support for parents navigating medical motherhood, and the creation of her children's book, 'A Boy Born Brave.' Amelia shares her mission to advocate f...