When Your Child is Diagnosed with Leukemia: First Steps from a Cancer Parent
Inside the Children's Hospital
Release Date: 06/25/2025
Rare Lung Disease, Epilepsy and the Diagnostic Journey
Inside the Children's Hospital
When your child survives one medical emergency only to face another, parenting becomes a constant act of advocacy and courage. Today’s guest joins us to share her daughter's journey with rare and complex medical conditions, from early respiratory failure and unexplained hospitalizations to epilepsy, lung disease, and life with medical uncertainty. As a military spouse navigating deployments, Brittany shares what it means to walk this path largely alone, trust her instincts as a mother, and fight to be believed by medical professionals. This episode explores navigating rare disease without...
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Severe Hemophilia: A Newborn, A Brain Bleed, and PICU Experience
Inside the Children's Hospital
When your newborn is healthy one moment and rushed to the PICU the next, life can change in an instant. Today’s guest joins us to share her son’s journey with severe hemophilia—from unexpected bleeding after a routine circumcision to a spontaneous brain bleed, emergency surgery, and a months-long PICU stay. This episode explores being thrust into medical motherhood, learning to advocate under unimaginable stress, and how community, child life, and modern medicine help families navigate life with a complex diagnosis. Download our free to help empower your child and family during hospital...
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When Insurance Isn’t Enough: A Parent’s Type 1 Diabetes Story
Inside the Children's Hospital
When your child receives a new medical diagnosis, it can feel like the world shifts beneath your feet. Today’s guest joins Katie Taylor to share her daughter’s Type 1 Diabetes journey—from dismissing "textbook" symptoms to navigating the financial challenges of families when it comes to chronic illness. This episode explores how one Mom moved from denial to "work mode" and how the HealthWell Foundation helps families afford life-saving medications. Sponsored in part by —learn how you can help families afford life-saving medications at healthwellfoundation.org. Download our...
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New Diagnosis: What to Do When Your Child Gets Diagnosed
Inside the Children's Hospital
When your child receives a new medical diagnosis, it can feel like the world shifts beneath your feet. Here’s how to move forward with clarity, support and connection, hosted by Katie Taylor and the Inside the Children's Hospital podcast. Listen to more stories at insidethechildrenshospital.com. Medical information provided is not a substitute for professional advice—please consult your care team. Sponsored in part by HealthWell Foundation—learn how you can help families afford life-saving medications at healthwellfoundation.org. Keywords: children’s hospital, NICU, child life...
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Launching Inside the Children's Hospital: What Listeners Can Expect
Inside the Children's Hospital
Hear the story behind Child Life on Call's transformation into Inside the Children’s Hospital. Discover what’s next for families seeking support and real hospital stories. Listen to more stories at insidethechildrenshospital.com. Medical Legal Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider for guidance about your child’s health.
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3 Proven Strategies for Parents Navigating Pediatric Healthcare in 2025
Inside the Children's Hospital
Feeling alone after your child's diagnosis? Discover three powerful lessons that have changed how families find hope, support, and confidence while navigating pediatric healthcare. In this solo episode, child life specialist Katie Taylor distills eight years of conversations with hundreds of families into three essential takeaways every parent needs when thrust into the pediatric healthcare world. If you're overwhelmed by medical decisions, uncertain about switching providers, or searching for ways to support your child—and yourself—during hospital life, this episode offers tangible steps...
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A Father's Journey Through Loss, Healing, and the Birth of a Rainbow Baby: Jeff's Story
Inside the Children's Hospital
In this profoundly moving and honest conversation, we sit down with Jeff Loving, a NICU dad, husband, and now an author, who shares the intimate and often unspoken grief experienced by fathers after pregnancy loss. Jeff walks us through the heartbreaking loss of his two sons, Davian and Jadon, the struggle to find empathy and appropriate medical care, and how these experiences ultimately led him and his wife, Cassie, to become fierce advocates for their future family. This episode is a raw look at marriage under immense stress, the importance of empathetic medical staff, and the redemptive joy...
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Understanding Homocystinuria (HCU): How one Mother Uncovered her Son’s Diagnosis
Inside the Children's Hospital
Melanie, mom to 12-year-old Masen, shares the unexpected path to her son’s diagnosis with Homocystinuria (HCU) after a routine eye exam revealed something “off.” What followed was months of uncertainty, a rare diagnosis few providers had even heard of, a crash course in low-protein diets and metabolic formulas, and two back-to-back eye surgeries to prevent further damage. With gentleness, honesty, and deep advocacy, Melanie describes how they adjusted as a family, how Masen built resilience, and how finding community changed everything. A story of early detection, parent intuition, and...
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Autism, Advocacy and the Power of a Medical ID Bracelet
Inside the Children's Hospital
Tara Cohen opens up about her son Will’s autism diagnosis and how it transformed her family and career. From navigating meltdowns to discovering AAC as a communication lifeline, Tara shares her honest reflections on parenting, resilience, and hope. What began as a search for a medical ID bracelet led to a career at —where she now helps other families feel safe and supported. This heartfelt episode reminds caregivers that advocacy grows from love and that even small acts of compassion can make a life-changing difference. Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction 03:10 – Early diagnosis...
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When Your Baby is Diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes: Marlee's Story
Inside the Children's Hospital
“My baby went from fussy to lifeless in hours—by the time we reached the PICU, they said he might have had six hours to live.” In this episode, TikTok Influencer and Medical Mom , a pediatric speech-language pathologist turned full-time mom, shares the whirlwind diagnosis of her 12-month-old son Bain with Type 1 diabetes and severe DKA, the traumatic hospital stay, and the everyday advocacy that followed. Raw, practical, and deeply hopeful. Why this episode matters Emotional clarity: what a Type 1 diagnosis really feels like in infancy Practical advocacy: scripts, choices, and...
info_outlineWhen Laura's daughter was diagnosed with leukemia, her world stopped. What followed was a powerful journey through fear, resilience, and fierce advocacy. In this episode, Laura DeKraker Lang-Ree—a lifelong educator and now author of The Cancer Parent’s Handbook—opens up about the most terrifying day of her life, how she transformed pain into purpose, and why parent-to-parent support is critical in the childhood cancer community. Her reflections are raw, heartfelt, and offer wisdom for every parent facing a medical diagnosis with their child.
🗝️ 5 Key Topics in This Episode:
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Diagnosis day & emotional impact
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Finding empowerment through peer support
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Practical coping strategies for parents
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Giving kids agency during treatment
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Long-term reflection, gratitude & growth
⏱️ Timestamps with Details:
00:00] Introduction to Child Life On Call + meeting Laura
Katie welcomes listeners and introduces Laura, an educator and mother of three, who shares her personal journey through her daughter’s cancer diagnosis.
[02:00] Life before diagnosis and early warning signs
Laura describes her daughter Cecilia’s vibrant personality and the subtle symptoms—like fatigue and pallor—that signaled something was wrong.
[04:30] Diagnosis day: from classroom to clinic
Laura recounts the moment she received the devastating call while teaching choir class and the whirlwind that followed as her daughter was diagnosed with leukemia.
[06:30] The emotional toll and the beginning of advocacy
Facing fear and uncertainty, Laura begins to advocate for her daughter’s care while navigating the shock and grief that comes with diagnosis.
[07:45] Camp experience and the danger of living “in cancer”
Laura reflects on a pivotal moment at a childhood cancer camp where she recognized the importance of not letting cancer define her family’s entire future.
[09:00] Collaborating with doctors + writing the handbook
Inspired by the gaps in communication, Laura begins collaborating with her care team and eventually writes The Cancer Parent’s Handbook to empower other families.
[11:45] The moment she knew she had to advocate fiercely
After a doctor’s offhand comment about potential cognitive decline, Laura took matters into her own hands and became a determined voice for her daughter’s future.
[14:00] Giving children power during treatment
Laura explains how offering simple choices helped her daughter feel more in control and less fearful during difficult medical procedures.
[16:30] Coping skills and caring for the caregiver
She shares the importance of self-care, setting boundaries, and creating a support system to survive the marathon of long-term treatment.
[21:00] Practical ways to normalize medical trauma
Through routines, honest conversations, and using Child Life services, Laura found ways to help her daughter feel safe and empowered during medical care.
[26:00] Empowerment through routine and consistency
By incorporating rituals like bike rides and post-procedure treats, Laura created a sense of predictability that helped her daughter manage weekly treatments.
[28:00] The unexpected gifts of reflection and gratitude
Laura opens up about how practices like gratitude journaling helped her find peace and moments of beauty during even the darkest days.
[30:00] About The Cancer Parent’s Handbook + where to get it
Laura shares her motivation for writing the book and how it’s now available for parents everywhere seeking guidance through their own childhood cancer journey.
📚 Resources from Laura:
🙌 Help Us Grow & Stay Connected
If this episode touched your heart or helped you feel more prepared on your cancer parenting journey, we’d be so grateful if you could:
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The Child Life On Call Podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. The content shared in each episode, including stories, discussions, and interviews, is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you heard on this podcast. The views and opinions expressed by guests on the Child Life On Call Podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Child Life On Call. Child Life On Call does not endorse any specific medical treatments, procedures, or opinions shared in the podcast. If you or your child are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or seek immediate medical attention. By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge that Child Life On Call and its affiliates are not responsible for any decisions made based on the information provided.