Medical Insights Episodes

Today's guest expert is Jessica Lewin, a child life specialist in the school setting. We talk about some of the key concepts that she wants parents to know are affecting their middle and high schoolers. Jessica and I discuss suicide, the impact of school attendance, and tweens' and teens' psychosocial roles within their social systems. In this episode, we talk about… [2:09] Jessica's background and work in the Child Life field [7:10] Psychosocial development in middle and high school [14:09] Th...

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Today's guest expert is my mother, Jane Donovan, who is a child abuse advocate. She is here to provide tangible ways to make this concept less scary and to empower kids and parents. We want to leave you feeling confident about how to teach kids about child abuse. In this episode, we talk about… [3:50] Jane's background and her passion for advocacy [8:48] Using puppets to talk to kids about child abuse [15:04] Good touches versus confusing touches [15:54] Empowering children to tell an adult abou...

Today I'm talking with Amy, who discovered her son had a brain tumor after noticing something different about his eye one morning. The brain has a lot of jobs, and it has affected his everyday life in many ways. Amy is an incredible mom, and she shares their story so beautifully. Her ultimate goal is to support other parents going through similar things. In this episode, we talk about… [2:19] Amy's family [3:59] Finding out about her son's brain tumor [8:55] Emergency brain surgery [14:32] Compl...

March is Child Life month, and I wanted to feature some amazing organizations that are doing so much to support children and families in crisis. A few weeks back, I had the opportunity to interview an expert in the field of Child Life about the impact of disasters on children and families (episode 105). Child Life Disaster Relief is an organization that empowers and supports children and families in crisis by integrating Child Life professional services into disaster-impacted communities. Learn ...

March is Child Life month, and I wanted to feature some amazing organizations that are doing so much to support children and families in crisis. A few weeks back, I had the opportunity to interview an expert in the field of Child Life about the impact of disasters on children and families (episode 105). Child Life Disaster Relief is an organization that empowers and supports children and families in crisis by integrating Child Life professional services into disaster-impacted communities. Learn ...

Today I am introducing you to Dr. Jin Lee, a licensed clinical psychologist with experience working in hospitals. She now has her own private practice, and she specializes with teens who have functional neurological or post-concussion disorders. You will hear some great information and feedback from Dr. Lee about how to support teens through chronic pain. In this episode, we talk about… [1:54] Dr. Jin Lee's background [2:51] Working with children and teens with chronic illness [5:57] How Dr. Lee...

Today we have another story from a heart mama. I wanted to fit them all into February, but I couldn't quite make it. So we are just creeping into March here with Dimitra and her story. Her son also had transposition of the great arteries (TGA), which we heard about in last week's episode. It's interesting to see where the two stories are parallel and where they differ. In this episode, we talk about… [1:51] Dimitra's family and background [3:37] Adapting to changes outside of our control [5:19] ...

Here we are in the last week of February, which is heart month, and I am so honored to bring you Melissa's story. We have discussed other heart defects before, such as tetralogy of fallot and hypoplastic left heart syndrome. This is the first time we are talking about transposition of the great arteries, or TGA. TGA is diagnosed in utero and requires surgery within days. I know Melissa's story will bring so much value, comfort, and validation to other parents. In this episode, we talk about… [1:...

Julie May has been a child life specialist for almost 20 years. She is here today to talk with us about how to talk to and support kids who have an adult in their lives who has an illness. Julie talks about what Wonders and Worries does, and what is accessible for families today. You can get support anywhere in the United States completely for free! You won't want to miss this episode, because Julie also shares how to read cues based on a child's development, how to know if you have taken the co...

Today's guest, Elizabeth, had never heard of PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infection) when her son was diagnosed with it. PANDAS is a tough diagnosis, because some doctors believe in it while others do not. Having a child with this diagnosis that only some doctors believe in is incredibly hard to navigate, to say the least. PANDAS is an autoimmune disease closely related to infections, so you will hear Elizabeth talk a bit about how her son...

Today's 12 minute talk became a 20+ minute talk, and Cara Smith and I discussed how parents can connect with their children after a disaster. Cara is an amazing pioneer in the child life field, and she has valuable tips both for child life specialists as well as for parents in the wake of a natural disaster, a pandemic, or any other stressful event. In this episode, we talk about… [1:41] Cara's background [4:18] Burnout as a child life specialist [6:44] Cara's experience working with children in...

Today's guest is Maureen, and she found out at her 20 week ultrasound that her daughter had clubfoot. She shares what families have to endure when confronted with a child with clubfoot. You'll hear about B and B (boots and bar), serial casting, surgeries, doctors' visits, and the amount of parent intervention that has to take place in the first four to five years of these kids' lives. In this episode, we talk about… [2:07] Maureen's family and background [4:53] Getting a clubfoot diagnosis in ut...

For today's 12 minute talk, I'm speaking with Kat Harrison. At the end of 2021, I shared Kat's episode (episode 99) in which she talked about what it was like being a teenager with chronic illness. During that episode, we touched on what helped her the most when she was a teenager in the hospital and how to support adolescents coping with different medical or mental challenges. I'm so excited to share this talk with you today so you can be more prepared when you're talking to your own teenager o...

Today's guest is Betsy, from an organization called Hope for HIE (Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy). HIE refers to brain injury in an infant, and Betsy will share more specifics about the condition and her family's experience with it in our discussion. I originally learned about this organization through working in the NICU here in Texas, and it is a wonderful source of support for parents struggling in completely unknown territory with their babies. In this episode, we talk about… [1:19] HIE: Hy...

It's the 100th episode! Today I'm opening up a bit and letting you get to know more about me as well as more about what a child life specialist does. I will be sharing my thoughts about the holiday season, and then I will answer some questions about child life. In this episode, I talk about… [2:57] The child life perspective on dealing with holiday feelings [7:21] A commonly held belief about my role that I passionately disagree with [8:41] What I wish my younger self knew about being a child li...

My guest today, Kat, is sharing her story as a child and now as an adult with chronic illness. I think it's important for us to change our perspective a bit and hear what the patient has to say. Kat is the community manager at The Mighty, and she has also written two children's books: Migraine and Mia and Surgery on Sunday. She is such a creative spirit, and she gets really honest with us about what it was like being a teenager in the hospital. She shares what her parents did that worked well, w...

Happy December! I'm changing things up a big this week, and sharing my discussion with Meg and Jess from Friends with Fros. I first interviewed them in June 2020, so please feel free to go back and listen to their anti-racism and diversity episode before enjoying this conversation. Meg and Jess host a podcast called Don't Worry 'Bout My Hair, and they also hold dual certifications as child life specialists along with rec therapy and nursing. In this episode, we talk about… [1:47] Life updates al...

My guest today is Carrie Holt. Carrie is one of those people who, when you talk to her, you feel like you've known her your whole life AND it feels like you're there in the room with her. She has such a great perspective on having a child with a diagnosis and special needs, and she also hosts a podcast called Take Heart Special Mom. I'll be sharing a bit about what I'm grateful for this Thanksgiving week, and then we will jump into Carrie's story. In this episode, we talk about… [1:24] What I a...

Today I get to introduce you to Moira, the host of Surviving the Waiting Room - a podcast based on her experiences from learning how to be an advocate for her teenage children as they started to figure out their health issues. Although they have diagnoses now, there are no exact tests for Celiac Disease or migraines, so Moira has gotten really good at finding people to help give her information. She has a lot of value to share about getting answers for your kids as well as about relating to teen...

For today's 12 minute talk, I'm interviewing Ashley McGaughy. Ashley is a pediatric occupational therapist from Chicago, and she primarily works as an independent contractor with kids in intervention programs, ages zero to three. She works on everything from play to daily life skills, and she gets to see kids both in their homes and in private community settings. She has a lot of expertise to offer, and I'm so excited to share it with you. In this episode, we talk about… [1:09] How Ashley got i...

For today's 12 minute talk, I'm talking about the COVID-19 vaccine and how to discuss it with kids. I'm going to give you some ideas, with the caveat that you don't have to use the exact words I use. You know your child best. This is also not meant to be an episode that tells you to get your child vaccinated. That is not my area of expertise. You can discuss that with your child's doctor and your family. If you are deciding to get the vaccine, I think it's important to have a conversation with y...

Today I'm introducing you to Jenny Hull, a single mom to Josie who just turned 20 years old. Jenny is also the CEO and founder of a nonprofit organization called Once Upon a Room. They are changing the game for kids in hospitals, and we'll get into all the amazing things they do toward the end of our conversation. Jenny is one of the most comforting and compassionate people I've ever had the pleasure of talking with, and her family story is unlike any other - from head-conjoined twins given less...

For today's 12 minute talk, I'm interviewing Dr. Brittany Ferri. She is an occupational therapist, and she has a passion for talking with kids about disabilities. Brittany talks about her program, Social Fly, a social and motor skills curriculum that educates kids ages 5-12 about disabilities. This program is great for parents, teachers, child life specialists, and anyone else who is interested in learning how to talk to children about these topics. In this episode, we talk about… [1:10] Branchi...