Latest Childlifespecialist Podcast Episodes
Paige’s Story: A Daughter with Nursemaid’s Elbow
Child Life On Call: Parents of children with an illness or medical condition share their stories with a child life specialist - March 16, 2022 06:00 - 20 minutes ★★★★★ - 78 ratingsMarch 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 (episo...
A 12 Minute Talk with Dr. Jin Lee, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Child Life On Call: Parents of children with an illness or medical condition share their stories with a child life specialist - March 09, 2022 07:00 - 23 minutes ★★★★★ - 78 ratingsToday 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 f...
Episode 109 | Dimitra’s Story: A Son with Transposition of the Great Arteries and Coarctation of the Aorta
Child Life On Call: Parents of children with an illness or medical condition share their stories with a child life specialist - March 02, 2022 07:00 - 54 minutes ★★★★★ - 78 ratingsToday 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 in...
Episode 108 | Melissa’s Story: A Son with Transposition of the Great Arteries
Child Life On Call: Parents of children with an illness or medical condition share their stories with a child life specialist - February 23, 2022 07:00 - 49 minutes ★★★★★ - 78 ratingsHere 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 ...
Episode 107 | How to Support Healthy Children of Adults with Illness with Julie May
Child Life On Call: Parents of children with an illness or medical condition share their stories with a child life specialist - February 16, 2022 07:00 - 38 minutes ★★★★★ - 78 ratingsJulie 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 su...
Episode 106 | Elizabeth’s Story: A Son with PANDAS
Child Life On Call: Parents of children with an illness or medical condition share their stories with a child life specialist - February 09, 2022 07:00 - 46 minutes ★★★★★ - 78 ratingsToday’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 diagnos...
Episode 105 | How Child Life Specialists Help Kids and Families After Disasters
Child Life On Call: Parents of children with an illness or medical condition share their stories with a child life specialist - February 02, 2022 07:00 - 28 minutes ★★★★★ - 78 ratingsToday’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 natur...
Episode 104 | Maureen’s Story: A Daughter with Bilateral Clubfoot
Child Life On Call: Parents of children with an illness or medical condition share their stories with a child life specialist - January 26, 2022 07:00 - 43 minutes ★★★★★ - 78 ratingsToday’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 paren...
Episode 103 | A Talk with an Expert: Kat Harrison on Living with Medical Challenges, Disability, Mental Health, and Chronic Illness
Child Life On Call: Parents of children with an illness or medical condition share their stories with a child life specialist - January 19, 2022 07:00 - 14 minutes ★★★★★ - 78 ratingsFor 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 hospit...
Episode 102 | Betsy’s Story: Hope for HIE (Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy)
Child Life On Call: Parents of children with an illness or medical condition share their stories with a child life specialist - January 12, 2022 07:00 - 46 minutes ★★★★★ - 78 ratingsToday’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 organizatio...
Episode 101 | Christiana’s Story: A Son with Osteosarcoma
Child Life On Call: Parents of children with an illness or medical condition share their stories with a child life specialist - January 05, 2022 07:00 - 47 minutes ★★★★★ - 78 ratingsAs we kick off the new year, my guest Christiana is sharing the story of her son’s osteosarcoma. Nathaniel has passed away, but his family created Nathaniel’s Childhood Cancer Foundation in his name and legacy. Christiana walks us through his experience with osteosarcoma from the beginning, and ...
Episode 100 | Thoughts about the Child Life Field
Child Life On Call: Parents of children with an illness or medical condition share their stories with a child life specialist - December 22, 2021 07:00 - 15 minutes ★★★★★ - 78 ratingsIt’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 ab...
Episode 99 | Kat’s Story: Chronic Illness as a Teenager
Child Life On Call: Parents of children with an illness or medical condition share their stories with a child life specialist - December 15, 2021 07:00 - 24 minutes ★★★★★ - 78 ratingsMy 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 a...
Episode 98| Checking in with Meg and Jess from Friends with Fros
Child Life On Call: Parents of children with an illness or medical condition share their stories with a child life specialist - December 08, 2021 07:00 - 40 minutes ★★★★★ - 78 ratingsHappy 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 J...
Episode 97 | Samarrah’s Story: A Son with an Ependymoma Brain Tumor
Child Life On Call: Parents of children with an illness or medical condition share their stories with a child life specialist - December 01, 2021 07:00 - 33 minutes ★★★★★ - 78 ratingsMy guest today, Samarrah, is sharing her story about her son being diagnosed with a brain tumor. I encourage you to be present as you listen to her story and take the wisdom she is offering. In this episode, we talk about… [1:49] Introducing Samarrah and her family [2:53] Getting the diagn...
Episode 96 | Carrie’s Story: A Son with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus
Child Life On Call: Parents of children with an illness or medical condition share their stories with a child life specialist - November 24, 2021 07:00 - 44 minutes ★★★★★ - 78 ratingsMy 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...
Episode 95 | How to Start a Gratitude Journal
Child Life On Call: Parents of children with an illness or medical condition share their stories with a child life specialist - November 17, 2021 07:00 - 13 minutes ★★★★★ - 78 ratingsFor today’s 12 minute talk, I’m interviewing author Priscilla Morgan. She gives us exactly what we need to know to start a gratitude journal with kids, without making it a chore. She teaches us how to find the emotional connection with gratitude to make it meaningful, as well as the power of wh...
Episode 94 | Moira’s Story: Kids with Celiac Disease and Migraines
Child Life On Call: Parents of children with an illness or medical condition share their stories with a child life specialist - November 10, 2021 07:00 - 31 minutes ★★★★★ - 78 ratingsToday 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...
Moira’s Story: Kids with Celiac Disease and Migraines
Child Life On Call: Parents of children with an illness or medical condition share their stories with a child life specialist - November 10, 2021 07:00 - 31 minutes ★★★★★ - 78 ratingsToday 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...
Episode 93 | Expert Advice Every Parent Should Know From an Occupational Therapist
Child Life On Call: Parents of children with an illness or medical condition share their stories with a child life specialist - November 03, 2021 06:00 - 13 minutes ★★★★★ - 78 ratingsFor 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 ...
Episode 92 | The Dad’s Perspective: A Son with a Rare Genetic Disease
Child Life On Call: Parents of children with an illness or medical condition share their stories with a child life specialist - October 27, 2021 06:00 - 35 minutes ★★★★★ - 78 ratingsThe Dad’s Perspective: A Son with a Rare Genetic Disease So there is this rock star in the podcast world, and her name is Effie Parks. She hosts a podcast called Once Upon a Gene, inspired by her son who has a rare genetic disease. Effie really focuses on the idea that disability is dive...
Episode 91 | How Do You Explain the COVID-19 Vaccine to Kids?
Child Life On Call: Parents of children with an illness or medical condition share their stories with a child life specialist - October 20, 2021 06:00 - 14 minutes ★★★★★ - 78 ratingsFor 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...
Episode 90 | Jenny’s Story: Head-Conjoined Twins and Adoption
Child Life On Call: Parents of children with an illness or medical condition share their stories with a child life specialist - October 13, 2021 06:00 - 43 minutes ★★★★★ - 78 ratingsToday 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...
Episode 89 | How to Talk with Kids About Disabilities with Dr. Brittany Ferri
Child Life On Call: Parents of children with an illness or medical condition share their stories with a child life specialist - October 06, 2021 06:00 - 13 minutes ★★★★★ - 78 ratingsFor 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....
How to Talk with Kids About Disabilities with Dr. Brittany Ferri
Child Life On Call: Parents of children with an illness or medical condition share their stories with a child life specialist - October 06, 2021 06:00 - 13 minutes ★★★★★ - 78 ratingsFor 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....
Episode 88 | [Repost] Life On Pause: Cancer Survivors Share Their Stories
Child Life On Call: Parents of children with an illness or medical condition share their stories with a child life specialist - September 30, 2021 06:00 - 37 minutes ★★★★★ - 78 ratingsIt’s an incredibly rare experience to sit next to someone else who “gets” what you’re going through… exactly. That’s what support groups are for, right? Well, today you’re getting an inside look into what young adults who have experienced childhood cancer are saying in their support group. Thes...
Episode 87 | Lisa and Brady’s Story - A Mom and Son Discuss Their Past Cancer Experience
Child Life On Call: Parents of children with an illness or medical condition share their stories with a child life specialist - September 29, 2021 06:00 - 50 minutes ★★★★★ - 78 ratingsI connected with one of today’s guests, Brady, through our shared alma mater, Penn State University. He has dealt with cancer not once, but twice, and he agreed to come on the podcast with his mother, Lisa. I’m so honored to have both of them on the show to share their experiences, and to cont...
Episode 86 | Starlyn's Story - Quadruplets in the NICU
Child Life On Call: Parents of children with an illness or medical condition share their stories with a child life specialist - September 22, 2021 06:00 - 41 minutes ★★★★★ - 78 ratingsI’m so excited to have my friend Starlyn on the show today! She and her husband have struggled with infertility for years, and she is here to share the miraculous story about having one embryo and ending up with four babies. Today we will hear all about what it’s like to be pregnant with quadr...
Episode 85 | Lisa's Story - A daughter with Sickle Cell (Repost!)
Child Life On Call: Parents of children with an illness or medical condition share their stories with a child life specialist - September 15, 2021 06:00 - 48 minutes ★★★★★ - 78 ratingsIt’s another day in September, which means we are going to be recognizing National Sickle Cell Awareness Month. Sickle Cell Disease is an inherited blood disorder in which blood cells may become sickle shaped and harden, causing a lot of pain. On this episode, I am bringing back Lisa’s Story: ...
Episode 84 | Parents of Kids with Cancer
Child Life On Call: Parents of children with an illness or medical condition share their stories with a child life specialist - September 08, 2021 06:00 - 18 minutes ★★★★★ - 78 ratingsSeptember is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Over the last four-and-a-half years, I have had the opportunity and honor to interview many parents who are a part of a club that they didn’t ask to be in. There is a common bond when you can look at another parent and say you have been through ex...
Related Childlifespecialist Topics