Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Mamma Care

This week my husband and I share some REALLY BIG and EXCITING NEWS for our family! We reflect on the past year and what it’s meant for not only for our family, but for our hopes and our dreams. WE emphasize how it was nearly impossible to have any hope for the future during those first 9 months of our son’s treatment. We share with you our most recent clinic visit and some tips that have worked well for us! And most of all I hope that this episode reaches the ears of someone that needs it most right now. Someone that needs to hear that hope is always there even when you’re connected by a very invincible string.

Links:

https://www.allmammacare.com/

A.L.L. Mamma Care Private Facebook Group

Instagram: @A.L.L.MAMMACARE

At the time of this recording it’s now been about two months the world has been under quarantine. I don’t know about you but it’s been a roller coaster of emotions and I’m so pumped to share this episode with you! And Spread the MAGIC!

In this episode, it was an honor speaking with Kylee McGrane, founder of A Moment of Magic! Her vision, passion and drive to create a foundation that provides medically compromised children as well as those in social services truly a moment unlike any other and one that is for sure to be an experience they’ll brag about to their friends and family!

I must note that due to the high demand of virtual calls with characters many are booked for the remainder of May!  However, do not fear, the foundation will be releasing new available dates for June in the next two weeks!

Connect with A Moment of Magic:

https://www.amomentofmagic.org/

https://www.facebook.com/AMomentofMagicFoundation/

https://www.instagram.com/momentofmagicfoundation/

[email protected]

Links:

https://www.allmammacare.com/

A.L.L. Mamma Care Private Facebook Group

Instagram: @A.L.L.MAMMACARE

Chef Ryan Callahan is an award winning author and chef. He is the author of  Chef Ryan's How-to-Cook Cookbook, Chef Ryan Callahan’s Tasting Journal, Cooking for Kids with Cancer and Cooking for Chemo ...and After! He’s won TWO Gourmand WORLD COOKBOOK Awards for his culinary expertise. Guys, that’s like the OLYMPIC gold medal of cookbooks!! His cookbooks are unique because they teach you the foundations of cooking and help you understand the eating experience and how your palate and taste preferences can change while going through cancer treatments.

Additionally, he offers fun videos on how to make pizza dough to knife safety! He is the creator of “The People Behind Your Food Podcast” and now has a second podcast focused on Cooking for Chemo, specifically for those undergoing cancer treatment. He also has a thriving comic, titled “Pizza Bros” which is a fun mashup of 90’s pixelated artwork and will take readers on Steve’s adventures while working in a pizza shop!

I had a blast speaking with him and I know you’re going to look at food in a whole new way after you’re done listening to this episode!

Links:

http://chefryancallahan.com/

http://www.cookingforchemo.org/- 2 FREE DIGITAL BOOKS (Cooking for Chemo ...and After! +Chef Ryan's How-to-Cook Cookbook )

http://www.callahanpublishing.com/

Connect with Chef Ryan Callahan on Social Media:

Facebook: Chef Ryan Callahan

Instagram: @chef_ryan_callahan

Snapchat: thechefryan

https://www.allmammacare.com/

A.L.L. Mamma Care Private Facebook Group

Instagram: @A.L.L.MAMMACARE

This episode is a quick one. It’s an update about our experience our son’s clinic visit during the peak of the COVID-19 virus here in Massachusetts. My husband Ryan, joins me on this episode to share with you how we worked with our team to prep in the days leading up to it and we share how the actual day went. We offer some tips in an effort to better prepare you for your child’s clinic visit.

I felt it was pertinent to share with you because there maybe a parent or caregiver out there listening that was just as anxious as we were. We want to offer some words of encouragement and know we did it and you can too!

Links:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

https://www.allmammacare.com/

A.L.L. Mamma Care Private Facebook Group

Instagram: @A.L.L.MAMMACARE

In this episode I had the pleasure of speaking with Courtney Rinaldi who is the Patient & Community Outreach Manager at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society for the New England Chapter. "LLS is the world's largest voluntary (nonprofit) health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research and provides education and patient services." LLS.org

As  you know, my goal of this podcast is to help other families through their cancer journey and beyond. My family has been so fortunate to benefit from the LLS in multiple ways from financial assistance to connecting with other families. I felt honored to get this chance to speak with Courtney and talk about all the innovative research, massive scale fundraising and most importantly the ongoing medical and emotional support LLS provides families during any stage of their cancer treatment. My hope is that you gain some additional information about this wonderful organization and it in turn can assist your family too!

Links:

https://www.lls.org/

https://www.lls.org/public-health/coronavirus

https://www.lls.org/support/financial-support

1-800-955-4572- Multi-lingual Information Resource Center 9AM- 9PM EST

1-877-557-2672 Financial Assistance Team 8:30AM-5:30PM EST

https://www.allmammacare.com/

A.L.L. Mamma Care Private Facebook Group

Instagram: @A.L.L.MAMMACARE

Welcome to another weekly update from our family to yours! We're about a month into this quarantine and at the time of this recording.  Massachusetts is unfortunately preparing for the surge of this virus to hit our state in full force during the next three weeks. In this episode we share with you some routines we've put in place to strengthen our bond as a family. We've been enjoying this time together and looking for the JOY in this crisis. Our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to all those on the front lines and those that have been directly affected by the Corona Virus. 

Links: 

https://www.abcmouse.com/

https://www.harpercollinsleadership.com/get-out-of-your-own-way/

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/01/07/794182826/boys-sex-reveals-that-young-men-feel-cut-off-from-their-hearts

https://www.allmammacare.com/

A.L.L. Mamma Care Private Facebook Group

Instagram: @A.L.L.MAMMACARE

My husband joins me this week on the on the podcast! I take a break from my typical broadcast and we take some time to talk about how we handled bringing our son to his monthly clinic appointment in the midst of the Corona virus pandemic. We give special shout outs to all the first responders who are on the front lines to fight this pandemic and are risking their lives to save others. We want to thank all those who are doing what they can to he a "helper" in this grave time of need. Thank you to the companies, schools and universities who are sending in donations and other resources to help the world. Our hearts go out to all the families that are making scarifies to help slow the spread of this virus. We want to personally thank all the teachers for all the work their doing to maintain a critical connection with their students and to all the parents working from home and now homeschooling. We see you. We support you. We urge you to continue to follow the CDC guidelines and do you part to help slow and stop the spread of the Corona virus.  

Links:

https://www.cdc.gov/

https://www.allmammacare.com/

A.L.L. Mamma Care Private Facebook Group

Instagram: @A.L.L.MAMMACARE

The SideKick program at UMass is truly a unique and special program and one that we are happy to be involved with. It pairs medical students with pediatric patients who are undergoing treatment for chronic illnesses and offers patients and their families support in whatever capacity they need at the time. I’m really looking forward to sharing this episode with you! If there is a program like this at your hospital I encourage you to check it out, ask questions, talk to your child if this is something that might interest them. If your hospital doesn’t have something like this talk with your team to see if something like this can get in the works! You just never know! It doesn’t hurt to ask and there might be so many that would benefit from a program like this!

Links

https://news.yahoo.com/video/umass-sidekick-program-matches-medical-214300365.html

https://boston.cbslocal.com/2014/04/10/umass-sidekicks-program-matches-medical-students-with-sick-children/

https://www.umassmed.edu/advancement/news/umass-medical-school-sidekicks-receive-support-from-charitable-foundations/

Contact Gina- [email protected]

https://www.allmammacare.com/

A.L.L. Mamma Care Private Facebook Group

Instagram: @A.L.L.MAMMACARE

At the time of this recording the Corona Virus had not yet spread to the UK. 

There is a quote among the cancer community that I wholeheartedly believe is a fact.  “One day you will tell your story of how you’ve overcome what you’re going through now, and it will become part of someone else’s survival guide.” My next guest is Michelle Johnson, mother to Alex, from a town near Liverpool, England. Her son was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia about a month and a half after my son.  We found each other early on during our son’s treatment and it’s been an honor getting to know her and her beautiful family over this past year!

She shares with us the days leading up to his diagnosis, how he remained in school throughout treatment and how the amazing support from family, friends and school community helped them navigate the first year of treatment. We talk about some helpful self care techniques that have worked well for her as well as how she’s been able to grow closer to her husband and children throughout this challenging time.

It was her original idea to use this platform to share her story in hopes that it will encourage other families to do the same, grow our community and raise awareness of the condition. And now without further ado I’d like to welcome Michelle Johnson to the podcast!

Links:

@Michelleannefloristry

@Michelleannefloristyand5boys

https://www.allmammacare.com/

A.L.L. Mamma Care Private Facebook Group

Instagram: @A.L.L.MAMMACARE

This week I’m talking about grief. It’s an uncomfortable topic to talk about but it’s one that unfortunately we all go through at some point in our lives. It’s an extremely personal topic.There is no comparison. Everyone is entitled to feel exactly how they do when experiencing grief. In this episode I share with you a personal journey that I went through using the Grief Recovery Method Program. Please know that I have permission to share some details about the program but due to the high sensitivity of the program there are other details that have been purposely let out both due to privacy and copyrights of the program. The founders and staff at the Grief Recovery Method encourage people to share their story and experience with the program.  So I share with you want I can and hope that this sparks interest or resonates with someone listening.

To learn more about the Grief Recovery Method their other programs or to become a certified grief counselor.

Links:

https://www.griefrecoverymethod.com/

https://www.allmammacare.com/

A.L.L. Mamma Care Private Facebook Group

Instagram: @A.L.L.MAMMACARE