New Episodes Every Wednesday

Grief And Healing Episodes

Delve into conversations around loss and grief while exploring the paths to healing as families process their experiences with pediatric illnesses.
Navigating HIE: Hope for Families, and Life Beyond the NICU [REPOST]- Betsy's Story (245)
March 12, 2025

Navigating HIE: Hope for Families, and Life Beyond the NICU [REPOST]-…

"I remember sitting in the NICU thinking, 'Am I going to lose my baby? Is this the best outcome for him? What will his life look like?' And then I realized—I wasn't alone in these thoughts. Other parents had been here before,...

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Holding Space for Hope as a Parent in Pediatric Healthcare
Dec. 17, 2024

Holding Space for Hope as a Parent in Pediatric Healthcare

"Hope isn't about avoiding the hard truths. It's about staying grounded in them and still believing that something good is possible."- Katie Taylor In this final episode of 2024, Katie dives deep into the meaning of hope, exp...

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Lissencephaly, Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, and Autism: Joy & Grief Through Medical Parenting
Dec. 3, 2024

Lissencephaly, Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, and Autism: Joy & Grief Throu…

"Life is always in the mix of joy and grief, and those things coexist. But this is how I'm going to deal with it." - Joanne De Simone In this episode of the Child Life On Call Podcast, Joanne De Simone shares her journey as a...

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235: A Mother's Journey of Love, Loss, and Resilience (crohn's and ulcerative colitis) - Kathy's Story
Nov. 19, 2024

235: A Mother's Journey of Love, Loss, and Resilience (crohn's and ul…

"If anybody was to ask me what is one of my biggest strengths, I have to tell them it's resilience… You can throw almost anything at me and I can handle it. I mean, there isn't anything any bigger in this world than losing a ...

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233: From NICU Nurse to NICU Mom: Premature Twins born at 33 weeks - Brittney's Story
Oct. 29, 2024

233: From NICU Nurse to NICU Mom: Premature Twins born at 33 weeks - …

A huge thank you to our sponsor of today's podcast, Begin Health. - Use code CHILDLIFEONCALL for 25% off 30% of children struggle with constipation and it can feel impossible trying to find a solution for your child. Especia...

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230: Navigating Childhood Cancer: Supporting families through her own experience - Heather's Story
Sept. 24, 2024

230: Navigating Childhood Cancer: Supporting families through her own…

230: Navigating Childhood Cancer: Supporting families through her own experience - Heather's Story "We've joined a club that nobody wants to be a part of, but the good part is we have the best members." A huge thank you to ou...

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225: Embracing Alopecia: A Mother's Journey of Advocacy, Instincts, and Resilience-Lexi's Story
July 23, 2024

225: Embracing Alopecia: A Mother's Journey of Advocacy, Instincts, a…

"I feel like I owe it to him to explore other avenues. Acceptance doesn't mean giving up; it means continuing to learn and adapt."- Lexi In this episode of Child Life On Call, Katie Taylor speaks with Lexi, a devoted mother o...

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224: A son with Burkitt lymphoma at 8 year's old - Reina's Story
July 9, 2024

224: A son with Burkitt lymphoma at 8 year's old - Reina's Story

"My immediate thought was I'm going to lose my son. That was where my head went immediately." - Reina Introduction In this episode of Child Life On Call, Katie Taylor talks with Reina, a devoted mother from Nashville, Tenness...

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222: A son born at 25 weeks after loss, NICU NP mom and podcaster: Ashley O'Neil
June 25, 2024

222: A son born at 25 weeks after loss, NICU NP mom and podcaster: As…

In this episode host Katie Taylor sits down with Ashley O'Neil, a family nurse practitioner and a NICU mom. Ashley shares her journey when her son, Colin, was born at 25 weeks gestation and the following 183 day NICU stay. L...

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219: 60 Years Later: Reflecting on a Daughter with Ichthyosis
May 21, 2024

219: 60 Years Later: Reflecting on a Daughter with Ichthyosis

"We, we weren't letting those people push us around because, believe it or not, living with us 24 hours a day, we knew more than some of the doctors." - Skip Vilas In this heartfelt episode of the Child Life On Call podcast, ...

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218: How NOT to Give Families Medical Information - A son with CHARGE syndrome, Taylor's Story
May 14, 2024

218: How NOT to Give Families Medical Information - A son with CHARGE…

Today's guest is Taylor Happley, a mom of a child with CHARGE syndrome. "We need to figure out why and how to help these kids get the medical attention that they need." In today's episode, Katie Taylor had an important conver...

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216: How to talk with Kids about Child Abuse - Jane's Story [Repost]
April 23, 2024

216: How to talk with Kids about Child Abuse - Jane's Story [Repost]

April is Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Month. We have reposted this episode to bring awareness and give you tangible tools to speak with your kids about child abuse. Today's guest expert is Jane Donovan, who is a child abu...

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215: Ruptured Appendix: Emergent Surgery, 6 Days in the Hospital & Struggles to Discharge - Aspen's Story
April 16, 2024

215: Ruptured Appendix: Emergent Surgery, 6 Days in the Hospital & St…

"I've learned so much in this whole process. It's like you have a depth inside of you that resurrects as an advocate and high alert, and it lives inside of you when you need it." -Aspen, Willa's Mom In this episode of Child L...

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214: Sacrifice, Advocacy, Joy: Raising a Son with End Stage Kidney Disease - The Ransome Family's Story
April 9, 2024

214: Sacrifice, Advocacy, Joy: Raising a Son with End Stage Kidney Di…

"Sometimes it's really therapeutic though to remember all that you have gone through because I feel like there are times when we look at each other and I'm like how did we get here?" -Tayler Ransome We're grateful for our spo...

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205: How to Support Kids who are Grieving, Bittersweet Relationships & Personal Loss
Feb. 6, 2024

205: How to Support Kids who are Grieving, Bittersweet Relationships …

In this episode, we're honored to have Jessica Correnti, a certified child life specialist and a bereaved mother, share her profound insights on grief. Jessica's dual perspective offers a rich understanding of the multifacete...

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203: 12 Years to Diagnosis, Understanding Four Key Emotional Reactions, and Channeling Her Story into Positive Action - Jessica's Story
Jan. 23, 2024

203: 12 Years to Diagnosis, Understanding Four Key Emotional Reaction…

"If you have a question, ask it. You are the parent, you need to know" - Jessica Siddi-Sewart How can medical parents use their experiences to promote action and advocacy? As a child life specialist, I know that there is not...

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202: Infantile Spasms, Healing from Trauma and Emotional Resilience
Jan. 16, 2024

202: Infantile Spasms, Healing from Trauma and Emotional Resilience

In this episode about parenting a child with infantile spasms, Katie Taylor, a certified child life specialist, has a profound conversation with Hailey, a resilient mother navigating the complexities of raising a child with a...

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Episode 196 | Hannah's Story-A son with VACTREL Association
Nov. 14, 2023

Episode 196 | Hannah's Story-A son with VACTREL Association

In this episode, you will be able to: Discover the untold journey of NICU parents, gaining insights and understanding into their unique experiences. Uncover the challenges of medically complex pregnancies, and learn strategie...

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Episode 190 |Sara's Story- Telling your Child you have Cancer [Repost in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month]
Oct. 3, 2023

Episode 190 |Sara's Story- Telling your Child you have Cancer [Repost…

In honor of October being Breast Cancer Awareness month we wanted to repost this episode to provide awareness to our community. Breast cancer survivor, Sara Olsher, battles the disease as a single parent, using her experience...

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Episode 185 | J.R.'s Story- A son with a Rare Disease
Aug. 29, 2023

Episode 185 | J.R.'s Story- A son with a Rare Disease

Meet J.R., a parent on a challenging journey. From aggressive behaviors to sensory challenges, she shares her struggles of raising a child with severe special needs. But just when things start to improve, an event occurs whic...

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Episode 173 | Dr. Korie Leigh - What Does Grief Feel Like?
June 6, 2023

Episode 173 | Dr. Korie Leigh - What Does Grief Feel Like?

Dr. Korie Leigh is our guest today on the podcast, sharing with our listeners what grief feels like. Dr. Leigh is a Child Life Specialist, Thanatologist, Associate Professor, and most recently a Children's Book Author. Katie...

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Episode 164 | [Repost]  How to Talk with Kids About Child Abuse with Jane Donovan
April 10, 2023

Episode 164 | [Repost] How to Talk with Kids About Child Abuse with …

April is Child Abuse awareness month. We have reposted this episode to bring awareness and give you tangible tools to speak with your kids about child abuse. Today's guest expert is my mother, Jane Donovan, who is a child abu...

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Episode 156 | Michele's Story - Child loss and the sibling relationships
Feb. 14, 2023

Episode 156 | Michele's Story - Child loss and the sibling relationsh…

On this week's episode of the podcast, Katie interviews Michele Benyo, a Certified Grief Specialist who helps families navigate the loss of a child with a focus on sibling relationships. Michele experienced the loss of her 6 ...

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Episode 152 | Kelly's Story - A daughter with Epilepsy [Trigger Warning: Death]
Jan. 17, 2023

Episode 152 | Kelly's Story - A daughter with Epilepsy [Trigger Warni…

This episode is full of tangible truth about what it means to be a caregiver and advocate. Kelly shares about her daughter's epilepsy diagnosis and how it changed her entire world. After a normal pregnancy and delivery, Adela...

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