Broghan’s Story: Clubfoot, NICU Days, and Finding Grace in the Unknown
Release Date: 11/10/2025
Broghan’s Story: Clubfoot, NICU Days, and Finding Grace in the Unknown
Born For This Stories
What happens when your first ultrasound becomes the moment everything changes? In this heartfelt episode, Johanna and Peter sit down with Broghan, a pediatric nurse and mom of three whose oldest son, Theo, was diagnosed in utero with bilateral clubfoot during the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic. What followed was a NICU stay, weeks of early-morning castings, and a terrifying post-surgical complication that nearly turned tragic. Through tears, humor, and hard-earned perspective, Broghan shares what it’s like to live both sides of the medical system as the caregiver and as the mom. She opens...
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Dylan’s Story: A Mother’s Journey Through Limb Difference and Self-Compassion
Born For This Stories
Season 2 begins with a story that will stay with you. Today, Johanna and Peter sit down with Dylan, a first-time mom whose daughter, Freya, was born with a congenital limb difference called longitudinal radial deficiency—a rare condition where the forearm bones don’t fully develop. From the shock of her diagnosis at the 20-week ultrasound to finding healing through therapy, family support, and the Lucky Fin Project, Dylan’s story is one of raw honesty, fierce love, and learning to give yourself grace in the midst of uncertainty. Dylan shares the moment a doctor called her baby’s...
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The End of the Beginning: Season One Finale
Born For This Stories
“We created the thing we felt would have helped us, and now it's grown into something bigger than us.” Today, we close the chapter on Season One — and open the door to something even bigger. In this heartfelt finale, Johanna and Peter sit down together to reflect on how Born For This Stories began, the families it’s reached around the world, and the moments that changed everything. From the early episodes on their son’s diagnosis and surgeries to the powerful guest stories that followed, they revisit the raw, beautiful, and healing journey that built this community. What started...
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Dr. Tarek’s Story: Thriving Beyond Hypospadias
Born For This Stories
Today, we hear a different perspective — one rarely shared. In this deeply moving episode of Born For This Stories, Johanna and Peter sit down with Dr. Tarek, a physiotherapist, osteopathic specialist, and founder of the Thrive Beyond the Diagnosis Foundation. Born with a rare and severe form of epispadias that evolved into hypospadias after multiple surgeries, Dr. Tarek opens up about surviving trauma, navigating stigma, and transforming his pain into purpose. From enduring more than 13 surgeries to pioneering research on pelvic rehabilitation and neuromodulation therapy, his story reveals...
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A Letter to My Past Self - and to You, Mama
Born For This Stories
What would you say to the version of yourself who just got the diagnosis? In this deeply personal solo episode, Johanna shares a letter she wishes she could have handed to herself the day her son was born and everything changed. Speaking directly to the parent lying awake tonight wondering if they failed their child, Johanna offers words of comfort, truth, and strength for the days that feel impossible. Through raw storytelling and hard-earned wisdom, she reminds every mother that guilt is not love, healing is not linear, and you are never walking this road alone. In this episode: The moment...
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Caroline's Story: "Simple Fix" Turned Multi-Stage Repair
Born For This Stories
When a doctor says, “It’s a simple fix,” most parents want to believe them. But what happens when it isn’t? In this powerful episode of Born For This Stories, Johanna and Peter speak with Caroline, a UK-born lawyer and mom of four now living in Pennsylvania, whose son Jude was diagnosed with hypospadias at birth. What she was told would be a “minor surgery” turned into three operations over the course of years. Through confusion, conflicting opinions, and an emotional rollercoaster, Caroline found her way to trusted experts, community support, and hard-won wisdom she now shares to...
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Kylie’s Story: Prematurity, Hypospadias, and the Power of Second Opinions
Born For This Stories
Have you ever gotten a second opinion that was the complete opposite of what you were initially told? Imagine that, plus you've just given birth, and your baby’s future is hanging in the balance. That was the reality of today's guest. In this powerful episode, Johanna and Peter sit down with Kylie, a mom from South Carolina whose son Aiden was born at just 31 weeks and weighing under three pounds. Diagnosed with hypospadias and chordee shortly after birth, Kylie and her husband were thrust into a whirlwind of mixed messages, surgical complications, and hard decisions that no parent feels...
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Sarah’s Story: A Canadian Mom’s Journey Through Hypospadias and More
Born For This Stories
A story of unexpected diagnosis followed by years of waiting and choices no parent feels prepared to make. In this episode of Born For This Stories, Johanna and Peter sit down with Sarah, a mom from Canada whose son was diagnosed with severe hypospadias at birth. From being told “it’s an easy fix” to learning it would require multiple surgeries, Sarah shares the raw truth of navigating children’s hospitals, long waitlists, and the weight of parenting decisions that carry lifelong impact. Her story also reveals what it’s like to parent through more than one medical crisis. On top of...
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What No One Tells You About Pediatric Surgery Recovery
Born For This Stories
The surgery might be over, but the hardest part often begins once you get home. In this episode of Born For This Stories, Johanna and Peter share the raw truth about pediatric surgery recovery - the sleepless nights, the emotional whiplash, and the gut-wrenching moments parents are rarely warned about. From the first 48 hours post-op to juggling pain management, catheters, regressions, and lingering caregiver PTSD, they open up about what it really looks like to walk your child through healing. This conversation isn’t about fear; it’s about validation. Because if you’ve ever sat awake at...
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Choosing the Right Surgeon & The Future of Hypospadias Care (Part 2 with Dr. Bush & Dr. Snodgrass)
Born For This Stories
What questions should you really ask before choosing a surgeon for your child? In this powerful continuation of our conversation with Dr. Nicol Corbin Bush and Dr. Warren Snodgrass, two of the world’s leading pediatric urologists, we go deeper into what parents need to know about hypospadias repair. From asking about surgical success rates and reviewing before-and-after photos, to understanding why multiple surgeries are sometimes the best path forward, this episode offers parents both clarity and compassion. Dr. Bush and Dr. Snodgrass also share how they’re preparing the next generation...
info_outlineWhat happens when your first ultrasound becomes the moment everything changes?
In this heartfelt episode, Johanna and Peter sit down with Broghan, a pediatric nurse and mom of three whose oldest son, Theo, was diagnosed in utero with bilateral clubfoot during the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic. What followed was a NICU stay, weeks of early-morning castings, and a terrifying post-surgical complication that nearly turned tragic. Through tears, humor, and hard-earned perspective, Broghan shares what it’s like to live both sides of the medical system as the caregiver and as the mom.
She opens up about the guilt, fear, and resilience that shaped her journey, and why she now tells other parents, “Whatever pops into your head, ask it. It’s not stupid.”
This episode is an honest reminder that whether your child’s diagnosis is rare or common, the emotional toll and the love are universal.
In this episode:
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The 20-week ultrasound that revealed Theo’s clubfoot diagnosis
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Navigating a NICU stay as a first-time mom
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The day a simple tendon surgery took a turn for the worse
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How motherhood changed her empathy as a nurse
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The moment she found peace through the poem Welcome to Holland
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The advice she wants every parent to hear: “Don't be afraid to ask the question. Don't be afraid to sound dumb. You're not wasting anybody's time. This is your kid. This is your ability to understand and best advocate."
💬 “It wasn’t shame and it wasn’t embarrassment, it was an uncomfortability of the unknown.”
Resources from this episode:
Welcome to Holland by Emily Peril Kingsley
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