The Rare Life

61: The Story of Westley


Listen Later

Westley was born with a rare case of Down syndrome—he was part of the 1% that faced several severe medical complications. Because of this, his mom Erica never fit in with the scores of other parents of children with Down syndrome. Add in a couple of rare sub-diagnoses, and it’s clear that Erica is certainly one of us.

In this episode, Erica shares a bit about Westley’s 455-day hospital stay which ended with a tough decision to switch him to comfort care and bring him home to spend the rest of his life cuddling and spending time with his three older brothers and parents. She also opens up about the complex grief she has been dealing with since his passing a few months ago, that brought both heartbreak and relief.

Links:

Check out pics of Erica + fam on the website.

Follow Erica on Instagram.

Follow me on Instagram.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The Rare LifeBy Madeline Cheney

  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5

5

149 ratings


More shows like The Rare Life

View all
The Rich Roll Podcast by Rich Roll

The Rich Roll Podcast

11,854 Listeners

Pantsuit Politics by Sarah & Beth

Pantsuit Politics

4,916 Listeners

Clutterbug - Real-Life Hacks and Tips to Declutter, Organize and Clean your Home Fast by Clutterbug

Clutterbug - Real-Life Hacks and Tips to Declutter, Organize and Clean your Home Fast

2,101 Listeners

The Lazy Genius Podcast by Kendra, The Lazy Genius

The Lazy Genius Podcast

6,696 Listeners

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard by Armchair Umbrella

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

69,390 Listeners

Family Secrets by iHeartPodcasts

Family Secrets

5,188 Listeners

Office Ladies by Audacy & Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey

Office Ladies

85,611 Listeners

A Beautiful Mess Podcast by Elsie Larson and Emma Chapman

A Beautiful Mess Podcast

2,112 Listeners

Uniquely Human: The Podcast by ART19    Uniquely Human

Uniquely Human: The Podcast

416 Listeners

Good Inside with Dr. Becky by Dr. Becky Kennedy

Good Inside with Dr. Becky

4,498 Listeners

All There Is with Anderson Cooper by CNN Podcasts

All There Is with Anderson Cooper

10,524 Listeners

Sold a Story by APM Reports

Sold a Story

7,662 Listeners

Caffeinated Caregivers by Erica Stearns & Alyssa Nutile

Caffeinated Caregivers

16 Listeners

Good Hang with Amy Poehler by The Ringer

Good Hang with Amy Poehler

10,812 Listeners

The Telepathy Tapes by Ky Dickens

The Telepathy Tapes

8,675 Listeners