We Saved You a Seat

Lisa Buck has been involved in the foster/ adoption world for almost 20 years as a foster and adoptive parent as well as serving as the first Foster Care Ombudsman in the State of Oklahoma. Lisa will share both her personal journey as well as some lessons learned as the Ombudsman in caring for Oklahoma's most vulnerable children and families.

Kodey Toney is a father, advocate, and director of the Pervasive Parenting Center. The presentation is filled with stories of his son Konner and their journey through navigating the system. Attendees will learn what Autism is, the behaviors related to Autism, and what to do if they feel that their child has Autism.

Mind your manners and be polite! But really what does that mean when words change all the time like bad is good and good is good? This session will walk through disability etiquette, and respectful language, and even touch on the scrambled terms that look like alphabet soup.

Parents deeply love their children, yet not all children feel that unconditional love and care. Join us for a practical and informative class about the Five Loves Languages of Children based on the book by Dr. Gary Chapman and Dr. Ross Campbell. We will learn how to use the knowledge of the Five Love Languages to connect with our children on a deep level and prevent and respond to discipline issue...

Are you being kind to yourself as the holidays approach?  Lauren Alvarez walks us through Mindful Self-Compassion through some amazing training she provided to Oklahoma Family Network families, and I know you will be encouraged by her words and knowledge.     She introduces us to a self-compassion test, and we encourage you to take the no right or wrong answers test to learn a little more about yo...

Oklahoma Family Network had the incredible opportunity to visit with Cheryl Step MS, LPC, NCC, and NCSC to discuss creating resilience through trauma in our personal and professional roles; and even how each of us can have an impact on those around us.   Cheryl has extensive knowledge regarding Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).  She displays expertise when presenting and training agencies' sta...

Per 501(c)3 rules, it is important to note that Oklahoma Family Network cannot and does not endorse any one candidate for any reason.  The purpose of this podcast is to bring awareness, conversation, education, and support to families who have children with special health care needs or disabilities.  Ellyn's personal journey takes her to candidacy-level advocacy, and you will hear about some of th...

Per 501(c)3 rules, it is important to note that Oklahoma Family Network cannot and does not endorse any one candidate for any reason.  The purpose of this podcast is to bring awareness, conversation, education, and support to families who have children with special health care needs or disabilities.  Ellyn's personal journey takes her to candidacy level advocacy, and you will hear about some of th...

Per 501(c)3 rules, it is important to note that Oklahoma Family Network cannot and does not endorse any one candidate for any reason.  The purpose of this podcast is to bring awareness, conversation, education, and support to families who have children with special health care needs or disabilities.  Ellyn's personal journey takes her to candidacy level advocacy, and you will hear about some of th...

We continue our conversation with Michelle Weaver about her journey after delivering her son Drew at 26 weeks and spending 99 days in the NICU.  Today we discuss how she got through the holidays and their time at home, which brought its own challenges.     You will love hearing about Drew's two big sisters and feel encouraged by Michelle's story!!   Thank you, Weaver family, for sharing pieces of...

Today you have the incredible privilege of meeting a beautiful mom who celebrates so much in the month of November.  Her experiences within this last year have her embracing Prematurity Awareness Month, and that combined with Native American Maternal Health Month and Adoption Awareness Month, she has big items to celebrate throughout all of November.   I know you will absolutely fall in love with...

We are so excited to welcome Samantha Beckstrom to the podcast today.  You will hear her journey through an extremely preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) and NICU Journey.   Thank you, Samantha, for sharing your journey with two NICU babies and helping others find strength as they experience NICU.

Stargardt Disease is a rare genetic eye disease that happens when fatty material builds up on the macula, the small part of the retina - which is needed for sharp, central vision.  Vision loss usually starts in childhood, but some people don't start to lose their vision until they are adults ( Stargardt Disease | National Eye Institute (nih.gov)   Today you will hear one family's journey into disc...

Happy Father's Day to the very special dads out there!!  This podcast is for YOU!!   This podcast is certainly for everyone, but especially our DADS!!!  Today we have as our guest, Jeremy Warren, Executive Director, of Dads on Special Assignment or DOSA.   Jeremy hosts a variety of activities, groups, and gatherings designed to help remind dads they are not alone in their journey of parenting a ch...

On October 3, 2019, Ryan and Lindsay Jones delivered their precious daughters Reese and Ryleigh at just 26 weeks gestation.    While Reese was rushed to the NICU, weighing just 1 lb, 14 oz; her sister, Ryleigh was held and loved on for the next few hours by her parents, who said hello and goodbye to their sweet girl within those short three hours of her life.   Today you hear the beautiful words o...

We are certain you will truly enjoy today's conversation! As we continue our discussion on Maternal Mental Health, we highlight today, how you can bring awareness and support to your sister, friend, cousin, brother and others in your life who might be experiencing the number one complication from pregnancy and birth, a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder.   James frequently says, "It's so importan...

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week is Monday, May, 2 - Sunday, May 8, 2022.   Today, as we kick off Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week, We Saved You A Seat visits with James Craig, MSW, LCSW and Public Health Social Work Coordinator for the Oklahoma State Department of Health in Maternal Child Health.    In part one of our two-part podcast release thi...

Heather Pike, Associate Director of the Oklahoma Family Network shares the "why" behind what she does professionally and personally.  In our latest episode of We Saved You A Seat, Heather walks us back 23 years ago when her son, Layton, was very sick and ultimately, diagnosed with meningitis.    Heather discusses the impact meningitis had on Layton's developmental milestones, the impact it had on...

Today we have the privilege of introducing you to Oklahoma Family Network's newest staff member and sharing a small portion of her experience and perspective learning her daughter has Down Syndrome. This is a real and honest conversation that will touch your heart. We Saved You A Seat, sat down with Jamese Siranga on March 21 (World Down Syndrome Day) and discussed the impact Down Syndrome has on...

WHAT IS TRISOMY 18? Trisomy 18, also known as Edwards syndrome, is a condition that is caused by an error in cell division, known as meiotic disjunction.  When this happens, instead of the normal pair, an extra chromosome 18 results (a triple) in the developing baby and disrupts the normal pattern of development in significant ways that can be life-threatening, even before birth.  A Trisomy 18 err...

We welcome back and continue our conversation with Caiti about her son Carter, who we learned yesterday was diagnosed with Trisomy 18.     In today's conversation, she shares her experiences calling 911, hospital visits, and ultimately Carter's passing.  Today she shares her heart and some of the very hard choices that she and her husband made for Carter.  Today she shares with us and talks about...

Meet Caiti... Meet her husband, Dillon, and daughter Chloe Bea... and today you have the incredible privilege of meeting and hearing about their first born, their son, Chloe's brother, Carter...    Today we release part one of our three-episode conversation with Caiti, shedding light into their NICU journey with their son Carter as doctor's suspected something was wrong, but couldn't definitively...

  "I don't understand why some people, and some children, are afforded these beautiful miracles, and others aren't. I'll never be able to reconcile it because they all deserve it, they all deserve to live. They don't deserve to go through all of this pain, to be stuck with all these needles all the time..." - Natalie Alexander     #CHD #CongenitalHeartDefect #BrokenHeart #Bandaids #NoCure #HeartsO...

February may have left us, but we have one more family story to share with you surrounding the topic of congenital heart disease/defects.  It's a nice reminder to all of us, that just because the awareness month and education pieces and family highlights may end, there is a great number of families living and wondering what might happen next and when with their baby's heart.   We welcome, our gues...