Inside the Children's Hospital

Inside the Children's Hospital

Supporting Families in Pediatric Healthcare: Insights from Parent Caregivers In this episode, we explore the experiences of parent caregivers navigating their child's complex health journeys, emphasizing the importance of advocacy, sharing stories, and hospital-family collaboration. Join us as these incredible parents discuss how they advocate for their children, the role of social media in building community, and what hospital leadership can do to improve family-centered care.Key topics covered: Why parents start sharing their child's medical journey online and the impact of community...

Inside the Children's Hospital

What happens when a diagnosis labeled “lethal” doesn’t tell the full story? In this episode of Inside the Children’s Hospital, Katie Taylor sits down with Nicole, a mom of five, who shares her daughter Charlotte’s journey with Trisomy 13—a diagnosis often associated with limited survival and quality of life. After receiving devastating news over the phone while at work, Nicole and her husband were told their daughter likely wouldn’t survive. But instead of accepting that narrative, they sought out information, second opinions, and a care team willing to partner with them. From...

Inside the Children's Hospital

What does it look like when life changes in an instant—and a family learns to navigate the unimaginable? In this episode of Inside the Children’s Hospital, Katie Taylor sits down with Marah, a mom of four, who shares her daughter Abigail’s journey after a cardiac arrest at just nine days old. What began as a healthy twin pregnancy quickly shifted into a complex medical path involving a NICU stay, life support, and long-term care needs. As Marah and her husband entered the world of medical parenting, they faced fear, uncertainty, and overwhelming decisions. Through it all, they leaned on...

Inside the Children's Hospital

What happens when your child seems sick, but everything keeps coming back normal? For a lot of parents, the scariest part isn’t the diagnosis. It’s the not knowing. It’s being told everything looks fine when your gut is telling you something is off. This week, Katie sits down with Kayleigh, a medical assistant and mom of three, to share the story of her daughter Kanessa. Almost a year after a freak eye injury that seemed to heal, Kanessa suddenly got sick. At first, it looked like a simple virus. But within days, things escalated fast. Kaylee shares what it was like trying to make sense...

Inside the Children's Hospital

What happens when your child already senses something life-changing—before anyone has found the words to say it out loud? When serious illness enters a family, children often understand more than we realize. And for caregivers, the challenge becomes not only navigating medical decisions, but also finding the right way to support their children through it all. This week, Katie sits down with Anna Lonon, founder of to share her family’s story of navigating cancer when her husband Michael was diagnosed with stage three head and neck cancer at just 29 years old. While raising a young son and...

Inside the Children's Hospital

What happens when your instincts tell you something is wrong—but you’re dismissed again and again? For many parents, the journey to a diagnosis begins with a gut feeling—and the courage to persist in seeking answers. This week, Katie sits down with Nikki McIntosh, author and advocate, to share the story of her son Miles, who was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) at just 18 months old. After noticing delays in his ability to stand and bear weight, Nikki followed her instincts despite initial dismissal—ultimately leading to a life-changing diagnosis. Nikki shares what those...

Inside the Children's Hospital

Within minutes of arriving at the hospital, Brady and his wife were told their newborn daughter had suffered a severe brain injury. In this episode of Inside the Children's Hospital, Katie sits down with Brady Crandall, founder of Youth Crews, to share his family’s journey following a diagnosis of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). What began as a routine pregnancy quickly turned into an emergency delivery, NICU stay, and a new reality as parents of a medically complex child. Brady opens up about: The shock and uncertainty of those early days Navigating life as a “medical dad.” The...

Inside the Children's Hospital

How do you prepare a child for surgery and build trust with their medical team? This episode explores how families and healthcare providers can work together to support children through procedures like tonsillectomy and other medical challenges. This week’s guest, Dr. Tali Lando, shares her perspective as a pediatric ENT surgeon, author, and mom of three teenage daughters. She and Katie discuss what it’s really like for families navigating medical care with complex kids and how parents can advocate effectively while still building strong partnerships with their child’s care team. If...

Inside the Children's Hospital

What does life really look like after a child receives a kidney transplant? Many people think transplant is the end of the journey—but for families, it’s often just the beginning. This week’s guest, Lyndsey Fedorko, returns to the podcast to share the next chapter of her son James’s medical journey—life after a kidney transplant. After years of dialysis, hospitalizations, and uncertainty, James received a life-saving kidney transplant from his aunt, marking the beginning of a new season for their family. Lyndsey and Katie reflect on the intense months surrounding transplant surgery,...

Inside the Children's Hospital

This week’s guests, perinatal mental health therapists Emily Souder and Mahaley Patel, share the story behind their book Your NICU Story: Reflecting on Your Family’s Experience—a guided journal created to help families process the emotional impact of a NICU stay. Mahaley also opens up about her daughter, Sachi, who died after a NICU stay, and how storytelling and narrative healing became a lifeline in her grief. She and Emily talk with Katie about why so many NICU parents carry trauma long after discharge and how writing your story can help families reconnect with what they experienced....