Episode 70 | Sara's Story - Telling Your Child You Have Cancer
Release Date: 06/02/2021
GalTheBabyDoc: Humor + Humanity in the NICU
Inside the Children's Hospital | Parent Stories, Pediatric Healthcare & What Families Want You to Know
September is NICU Awareness Month, and in this week’s episode, Katie sits down with Dr. Gal, @galthebabydoc, a Neonatologist and Pediatrician, and a dad with experience as a parent in the NICU. He shares his knowledge and experience on social media in digestible ways to help parents and others feel comfortable during difficult times. Throughout the episode, they delve into the experiences and emotions of what parents might be facing when their baby is in the NICU, and how parents can get the most out of communicating with the hospital’s healthcare providers. Dr.Gal, having experience on...
info_outline![How to Talk to Kids About the Things We Wish They Didn’t Have to Face [Palliative Care] show art](https://assets.libsyn.com/content/205427365?height=50&width=50)
How to Talk to Kids About the Things We Wish They Didn’t Have to Face [Palliative Care]
Inside the Children's Hospital | Parent Stories, Pediatric Healthcare & What Families Want You to Know
How do families navigate a serious childhood diagnosis while still focusing on hope, quality of life, and the everyday moments that matter most? In this episode of Inside the Children's Hospital Podcast, Katie Taylor sits down with Dr. Korie Leigh, PhD, CCLS, a child life specialist, psychologist, thanatologist, author, educator, and pediatric palliative care advocate. Drawing on more than two decades of supporting children and families, Dr. Leigh shares what pediatric palliative care really is—and why it is so much more than many families believe. Together, they explore how pediatric...
info_outline
Helping Kids Cope With Needles: The Science Behind Buzzy
Inside the Children's Hospital | Parent Stories, Pediatric Healthcare & What Families Want You to Know
In this episode of Inside the Children's Hospital Podcast, Katie Taylor sits down with Dr. Amy Baxter, pediatric emergency physician, researcher, inventor of , and founder of , to explore how childhood experiences with needles can shape a lifetime of healthcare interactions—and what parents and healthcare professionals can do to help. After watching her own son develop a fear of needles despite her expertise in pediatric pain management, Dr. Baxter began researching why children experience pain differently and how simple, evidence-based strategies can reduce pain during vaccines, blood...
info_outline
When You Become Your Child’s Advocate Overnight
Inside the Children's Hospital | Parent Stories, Pediatric Healthcare & What Families Want You to Know
What happens when the child you've dreamed of suddenly receives a diagnosis you've never even heard of? For Deborah, it was Angelman syndrome. In this episode of Inside the Children's Hospital Podcast, Katie Taylor sits down with Deborah Trejo, Art Therapist, to share the powerful story of her daughter Maya's journey to an Angelman syndrome diagnosis. After months of feeding difficulties, developmental delays, seizures, and countless unanswered questions, Deborah and her family finally received a diagnosis just one day after Maya's first birthday. Deborah opens up about the emotional realities...
info_outline
Doctor Visits, Diagnoses, and Difficult Conversations: A Parent's Guide to Knowing What to Say
Inside the Children's Hospital | Parent Stories, Pediatric Healthcare & What Families Want You to Know
What do you do when your child receives a diagnosis and your mind suddenly goes blank? Whether you're hearing difficult news for the first time or preparing your child for a medical procedure, knowing what to ask—and how to support your child—can feel overwhelming. In this episode of Inside the Children's Hospital, Katie Taylor, Certified Child Life Specialist, is joined by Dr. Mona Amin, board-certified pediatrician, founder of and Chief Medical Officer at , for an honest conversation about helping families navigate some of the hardest moments in healthcare. Together, they share...
info_outline
Prader-Willi Syndrome: Why Caregiving Moms Need Community and Support
Inside the Children's Hospital | Parent Stories, Pediatric Healthcare & What Families Want You to Know
When your child receives a diagnosis, everything changes. In this heartfelt episode, Katie Taylor welcomes back Jessica Patay, founder of to discuss the emotional realities of caregiving, raising a son with Prader-Willi syndrome and autism, and why supporting the mental health of caregiving moms is essential. Jessica shares how a mentor mom transformed her own journey after her son's diagnosis and how that experience inspired her to create We Are Brave Together, a thriving community supporting thousands of caregiving mothers worldwide. She also introduces her newest book, a collection of...
info_outline
How Child Life Specialists Help Children Thrive During Hospital Stays
Inside the Children's Hospital | Parent Stories, Pediatric Healthcare & What Families Want You to Know
What does it take to help children thrive during a hospital stay? In this episode of Inside the Children's Hospital Podcast, Katie Taylor sits down with Alyssa Sachs, CCLS, an inpatient Child Life Specialist at , to explore how Child Life Specialists help children and families experience joy, connection, and normalcy—even during long and complex hospital stays. Alyssa shares what it's like supporting children on the inpatient neuroscience floor, where patients range from newborns to young adults with epilepsy, neuro-oncology diagnoses, neurosurgical needs, and more. She offers an inside look...
info_outline
ADNP Syndrome: A Child Life Specialist's Journey to Diagnosis, Advocacy & Hope
Inside the Children's Hospital | Parent Stories, Pediatric Healthcare & What Families Want You to Know
When Caitlin noticed that her daughter, Kennedy, wasn't meeting developmental milestones, she trusted her instincts—even when others reassured her that everything was fine. As both a former Child Life Specialist and mom of a child with ADNP syndrome, Caitlin shares her family's journey from early concerns and endless appointments to receiving a diagnosis for a condition so rare that only about 500 cases have been identified worldwide. In this conversation, Caitlin opens up about navigating uncertainty, advocating for her daughter in healthcare settings, finding support through rare disease...
info_outline
Growing Up with Chronic Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction
Inside the Children's Hospital | Parent Stories, Pediatric Healthcare & What Families Want You to Know
For many families navigating chronic illness, it's hard to imagine what the future might look like for their child. This week on Inside the Children’s Hospital, Katie Taylor sits down with Vincent Rosche, a patient advocate, fitness enthusiast, and survivor who has spent most of his life navigating complex medical challenges. Diagnosed with chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO) at just 9 months old, Vincent grew up with feeding tubes, central lines, frequent hospitalizations, and even battled thyroid cancer as a teenager. Today, Vincent works as the Community Engagement Coordinator...
info_outline
Supporting Children Through Burn Injuries
Inside the Children's Hospital | Parent Stories, Pediatric Healthcare & What Families Want You to Know
Has your child been burned? Whether it was hot water, ramen noodles, a stove, fireworks, or another accident, this episode guides parents through what to do next. In this episode, Katie sits down with Christella Almonacy, Certified Child Life Specialist at Wellstar's Burn Program, to discuss what families can expect after a child experiences a burn injury. Together, they explore the physical and emotional recovery process, how Child Life Specialists help children cope with painful procedures, and why giving kids choices can make all the difference. Christella also shares common causes of...
info_outlineNot 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 things for themselves that they do for their children
+How asking for help was non-negotiable and she had to learn to get comfortable with it
+How she told her six-year-old that she had cancer and her daughter’s emotional response to having a mother go through chemotherapy and painful surgeries.
Learn more about Sara’s calendar and book resources for families going through difficult experiences through Mighty and Bright.