Episodes

Katie Taylor, Certified Child Life Specialist interviews Dana Burnett, Certified Child Life Specialist for the Bougier City, Louisiana school district.Dana talks about her child life journey up until this point and how she has transitioned to supporting K-8th grade students through 1:1 interventions.She focuses on serving students with chronic illness, children facing illness and loss, and children with parents who have an illness. Follow along with Dana on Instagram @takingchildlifetoschool...

Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist talks to Danielle, mom to Della a daughter with Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis.You may know Danielle formally as Danni Starr, the media personality, but she is also momma of two girls, one of which suffers from invisible, chronic illness.Danielle takes us through what the journey to a diagnosis was like (spoiler: it wasn't easy), how their entire family copes with the ups and downs and one surprising revelation: chronic illness isn't all bad.Listen to D...

Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist interviews Teresa, a mom of a teenage daughter with Spina Bifida.With no signs of abnormalities during her pregnancy, Teresa was shocked to learn that a fatty lump on her daughter's skin at the base of her spine would lead to a diagnosis of spina bifida occult with a tethered spinal cord.Teresa walks us through the shock of the diagnosis and the power that a one-on-one discussion with an empathetic doctor had on their ability to cope.Motivated by thei...

(This episode was developed in partnership with Aflac. I was compensated for this episode, but all opinions are entirely my own. #ad)In this episode, Katie Taylor, Certified Child Life Specialist talks about the importance of a community for caregivers. She interviews Nichole who shares what her son's experience with cancer has been like. Sara Stewart, Child Life Specialist at Lurie Children's Hospital discusses how she supports children and families during their cancer journey.Nichole refers ...

In another version of "Katie and Jamie's Top 5" these two friends and child life specialists try to lighten the mood by talking about our favorite things of 2020. We can all admit the year was...meh... so why not chat about some of the good parts.Jamie and Katie talk about fun things like their favorite lounge wear, shows to binge, holiday traditions and more game-changing revelations like favorite recipes (spoiler: wine).From Jamie's favorite flavor of NyQuil to "sympathy chores" she had as...

In this episode, Annie, Certified Child Life Specialist, talks to Eilieen. She is the amazing mom of a determined, fun loving, 4-year-old hero named Brady. Brady was diagnosed with Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa (RDEB).While he inspires all who meets him, his favorite thing is just being a typical boy and being treated as such. After a move from Texas to Colorado to find the best care and environment for him, life shifted and their family became advocates in the RDEB community.Ei...

Katie talks to two Certified Child Life Specialists and military spouses, Savannah Self and Lisa McWhorter about ways to support military families.From long waits in military hospitals to helping children navigate the deployment of parents, child life specialists have an important role in helping families cope.A lack of consistency in providers due to moves across the country, and the world, is one of the biggest healthcare challenges military families face. Savannah and Lisa share tips and ...

Meg, is mom to four children one of whom is living with syndromic craniosynostosis. Her daughter, Avery, who is now six-years-old is proof that children are resilient and capable of so much.She discusses the exhaustion that comes from being the caregiver for a child who requires around the clock care. Meg attributes family (20+ cousins!) constantly surrounding her with love to be one of the biggest parts of their coping."The first year is so tough, so buckle up. But once it's over, you'll be...

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Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist, talks with Jamie Gentille, Director of Child Life Services at Inova Children's Hospital and Dr. Jody Thomas, from the Meg Foundation for Pain, in this episode.Dr. Jody Thomas is a licensed clinical psychologist, and specialist in pediatric medical illness and trauma and the founder of the Meg Foundation for Pain. She discusses the mission of their organization which addresses pain in children head-on. Listeners today will walk away with a better understa...

Spit up, and even reflux, can be a common problem for infants, but what happens when it's more than that?In this episode, Amrita shares with Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist, about what happens when a child's reflux became severe and leads to a three-week hospitalization, a feeding tube, and ongoing support from developmental therapists. This is the reality of severe gastroesophogeal reflux disease.Listen to Amrita's story to hear how she has coped with this experience and how her son ...

In this episode, Katie interviews Lisa, mom to Riley. Sweet Riley is a spunky and sweet two-year-old living with Sickle Cell Anemia.Lisa talks about how they knew it would be a possibility while she was pregnant due to the trait being passed down, but they had hoped and prayed to avoid it like they did with their first born, a son who is now nine years old.She says that she can handle the frequent trips to the ER, but watching her daughter in pain is a feeling no mother should have to experi...

Meet Ashlyn, momma to her sweet and smiley boy, Myles. Myles was born with a rare disease that effects his limbs and other parts of his body. These symptoms are known as VACTERL association.As a self-proclaimed "planner," Ashlyn talks about the difficulties of having so many unknowns during her pregnancy and how she coped... and is coping... with their journey. She attributes her strong partnership with her husband and prayer as key components to getting through difficult times.If you'd like...

Meet Maura Senneff, mom to sweet Ryan. Ryan is a thriving 8-year-old boy who has Down syndrome. The amazing advocate by his side, his momma Maura, describes that "zooming out" and looking at things from wide lens helped them turn Ryan's health around.She talks about small changes and the "no limits" attitude their family lives by.If you'd like to follow along with Maura Senneff and her son, Ryan, you can follow their Instagram @Maurasenneff.Guest: Maura Senneff, Released: Aug 12, 2020Whe...

Katie talks to Dominique, mom to Mila, who shares her birth story and NICU experience. Born at just 1lb 11ounces at 26 weeks old, Mila has made tremendous progress thanks to proactive parents, therapies and her momma's un conditional love.Dominique talks about the fear that comes with being an African American pregnant woman in the healthcare setting as well as the impact that sharing her story and community has had on her ability to cope with their journey.You can follow Dominique Pompey th...

Katie interviews Meg and Jess, two certified child life specialists who also have dual certifications in rec therapy and nursing! These two ladies host a podcast called Don't Worry Bout My Hair and they are your @friendswithfros!We tackle tough questions that are way overdue in the field of child life:Have you received any feedback or comments from black families regarding challenges due to limited diversity of the hospital staff?What's been the most challenging thing about being a black wom...

In this episode, Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist, interviews Jessica, mom to two special needs children and one of which who is on the Autism spectrum. Jessica is also an adult clinical neuropsychologist and also hosts a podcast with her husband called, Thriving in the Midst of Chaos.Jessica discusses their journey to get a diagnosis, how they are coping with virtual therapy during covid19, and provides great resources and information about the Autism community.If you'd like to share ...

Elizabeth, mom to three girls, shares with us her experience of having a daughter with cancer. In just an hour and a half, her 9-year-old daughter went from a pediatricians office to a cancer ward. Elizabeth discusses her Elizabeth's "out of body" experience, how she was able to identify the "gifts" in each of her girls, and offers wisdom and compassion to others going through similar experiences.We also talk about how the global pandemic of Covid19 and subsequent quarantine has impacted their...

Katie, Certified Child Life Specialist, talks with Meg Casano, mother to Ella who has Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP) and also created the nonprofit Medi Teddy which is a stuffed animal cover for intravenous medications.Meg talks about the journey to discover her daughter's diagnosis and how an initial prediction that Ella's ITP would only last six months but has turned out to be a life-long chronic illness. She discusses the financial and emotional challenges that exist when you hav...

In this episode, Katie interviews Delanie, an American and child life student currently living in Beijing. She has been in quarantine since January 27. She shares what quarantine life has been like in China ... the center of the Covid19 pandemic.She shares advice from Chinese families who want Americans to know what the number one thing to have on hand at home is... and she talks about what they say life has been like in quarantine with children. She shares how government and culture have play...

When it comes to the Coronavirus, how we inform our children is incredibly important. If you're wondering though, how can we talk to our kids when we as adults still don't know exactly what's happening, you're not alone. This episode covers suggestions for age-appropriate language to use as well as general considerations to keep in mind as you talk to your children. Children are looking to adults for honest, easy-to-digest information. Break it down into a way that they can understand.

Katie sits down (across the airwaves) with Jamie Gentille, Certified Child Life Specialist, Director of Child Life Services at Inova Children's Hospital, author and self-proclaimed animal themed yoga enthusiast to talk all things cardiac-life in honor of Heart Month.Jamie is living proof that "cardiac babies" can not only survive, but THRIVE in spite of challenges, surgeries and so much more. Today she talks about the Top 10 things she knows now as a Cardiac Baby turned Bad Ass adult. We cover...

This episode is not a cancer story. This is a story about a loving family, a precious child, and how to find miracles during the darkest parts of life.In this episode, Katie interviews Scott Kramer, father to Maddie. Maddie was diagnosed with atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (AT/RT) at just two and a half years old and sadly passed away after 8 months of treatment. However, Maddie's story is far from over. Scott and his wife are founders of Dancing While Cancering, a nonprofit that shares joy ...

In this episode Katie Taylor, Certified Child Life Specialist interviews Tara Geraghty, President and Founder of Making Cancer Fun. Tara is momma to Emily who was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma at just three years old. Tara used positivity and FUN to help herself and her daughter cope with their cancer journey. Tara is an author, webinar host, TedX Talk speaker, and just an all around inspiring person.Follow Making Cancer Fun on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and follow Tara on Facebook...