What does medical parenting feel like from a father's perspective?

In this solo episode of Born For This Stories, Johanna turns the microphone toward Peter to explore a side of medical parenting that is rarely talked about — the dad experience. While many conversations focus on the emotional, research-driven, and intuitive journey of mothers, this episode highlights how fathers process diagnoses, surgeries, and uncertainty in a completely different way.

Together, they walk through their son Silas's diagnosis, the decision-making process behind multiple surgeries, and the emotional weight that fathers carry — often quietly. This episode dives into the contrast between emotional and logical processing, the pressure to stay steady, and the internal experience dads navigate while supporting both their child and their partner.

If you are a parent navigating surgery decisions, a diagnosis, or the unknowns that come with medical parenting, this episode offers a powerful perspective on partnership, communication, and what it really looks like to walk this journey together.

– The dad perspective in medical parenting and why it's often overlooked – Processing a diagnosis from a logical versus emotional standpoint – Navigating uncertainty, fear, and decision-making during surgery planning – The pressure fathers feel to stay calm and grounded – How different processing styles can impact relationships during medical journeys – The importance of communication between partners – Letting go of control and taking things one step at a time – Researching medical decisions and advocating as a parent – The role of fathers in supporting both child and partner – How medical journeys can strengthen or challenge relationships

If you are navigating a diagnosis, surgery decision, or the unknowns of medical parenting, we want you to know you are not alone.

Born For This Stories exists to connect families walking through medical journeys — creating space for both mothers and fathers to feel seen, supported, and understood.

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New episodes release every Monday.

Whether you are the parent researching, the parent holding it together, or the partner trying to support both — you are part of this story.

What happens when you know something isn't right — but you keep being told everything is fine?

In this episode of Born For This Stories, Johanna and Peter sit down with Christy, a mom of three, physician, and founder of ThriveWell Functional Pediatrics. Her journey into medical parenting began at birth, when her son was diagnosed with esophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistula (EA/TEF) — a congenital condition that required immediate surgery and a prolonged NICU stay.

But for Christy, the story didn't end after surgery. As her son grew, new symptoms continued to surface — chronic vomiting, eczema, feeding challenges, and developmental concerns — yet time and time again, she was told he would "grow out of it." This episode explores what happens when parental intuition doesn't quiet, the frustration of feeling dismissed within the medical system, and the moment everything shifted toward a more integrative, root-cause approach.

This conversation is for parents navigating congenital conditions, NICU journeys, chronic symptoms that don't fully resolve, and the space between conventional medicine and functional healing.

– Receiving a birth diagnosis of esophageal atresia and navigating early surgery and NICU care – The long-term impact of antibiotics, anesthesia, and early medical interventions – Recognizing ongoing symptoms like eczema, vomiting, and gut dysfunction – The experience of feeling dismissed by providers despite persistent concerns – Exploring food sensitivities, allergies, and gut health as root causes – Discovering functional and integrative pediatric care – Bridging conventional medicine with holistic approaches for long-term healing – Why asking "why" is just as important as identifying a diagnosis – Supporting children beyond survival — toward thriving health

If you are navigating a diagnosis, NICU journey, or ongoing health concerns that don't feel fully resolved, this space was created for you.

Born For This Stories exists to connect families walking through medical challenges — from birth diagnoses to chronic conditions to the in-between seasons no one prepares you for.

Share your story at bornforthistories.com Follow along on Instagram @bornforthiststories Subscribe and leave a review to help more families find this community

New episodes release every Monday.

Wherever you are — diagnosis day, recovery, or searching for answers — you do not have to carry it alone.

What do medical parents actually need from the people around them?

When a child receives a diagnosis, faces surgery, or navigates ongoing medical care, friends and family often want to help — but many simply don't know how. Well-meaning reassurance can sometimes leave parents feeling more isolated instead of supported.

In this episode of Born For This Stories, hosts Johanna and Peter step away from guest interviews to share a powerful framework for supporting families walking through medical journeys. Drawing from their own experience navigating their son's surgeries and the countless stories shared by families on this podcast, they introduce the STAY Model — a simple but transformative way to show up for medical parents.

This conversation explores the emotional reality behind diagnoses, surgical decisions, and caregiver fatigue. It also offers practical guidance for friends, family members, and loved ones who want to provide meaningful support instead of unintentionally minimizing what medical families are going through.

Whether you are a parent navigating a child's diagnosis or someone who wants to better support a family walking through medical uncertainty, this episode offers a compassionate roadmap for showing up when it matters most.

– Why common reassurances like "he'll be fine" can unintentionally isolate medical parents – The emotional reality of parenting through surgeries, diagnoses, and medical uncertainty – Understanding caregiver fatigue and the invisible load carried by medical families – Why many friends and family members pull away during difficult medical journeys – The STAY Model and how it helps people better support medical parents – Practical ways loved ones can show up during surgeries, treatments, and recovery – How specific support reduces decision fatigue for overwhelmed caregivers

If your family is navigating a diagnosis, surgery, rare condition, or medical journey, we want you to know you are not alone.

Born For This Stories exists to connect families walking through medical challenges and to create a space where parents feel seen, supported, and understood.

Share your story at bornforthistories.com Follow along on Instagram @bornforthiststories Subscribe and leave a review to help more medical families discover this community

New episodes release every Monday.

Wherever you are in the journey — diagnosis day, the waiting room, recovery, or the long road in between — you do not have to carry it alone.

What happens when the traditional medical path doesn't feel like the only answer — or the right one for your child?

In this episode of Born For This Stories, Johanna and Peter sit down with Katherine to explore what it means to navigate complex medical decisions as a parent while also exploring holistic approaches to healing. Katherine shares her family's journey through diagnosis, treatment decisions, and the emotional weight that comes with advocating for your child when the path forward isn't always clear.

This conversation dives into the intersection of conventional medicine, holistic health, informed consent, and parental intuition. It's about asking questions, doing your own research, and learning to trust yourself while still working within the medical system.

If you are a parent navigating medical decisions, exploring integrative or holistic approaches to your child's care, or learning how to advocate for your child's health, this episode will resonate deeply.

– Navigating medical decisions when multiple treatment paths exist – Balancing conventional medicine with holistic health approaches – Learning to trust parental intuition while working with doctors – The emotional weight of advocating for your child's health – Researching treatment options and informed consent – Building confidence as a parent navigating the healthcare system – Supporting your child while also caring for your own nervous system

If you are navigating a diagnosis, medical decision, or unexpected turn in your child's health journey, we want you to know you are not alone.

Born For This Stories exists to connect families walking medical journeys — from rare diagnoses to surgical paths to chronic conditions and everything in between.

Share your story at bornforthistories.com Follow along on Instagram @bornforthiststories Subscribe and leave a review to help more medical parents find this community

New episodes release every Monday.

No matter where you are in the journey — diagnosis, treatment, recovery, or advocacy — your story matters here.

A rare genetic diagnosis during pregnancy. A cleft lip and palate. Limb differences. Missing teeth. Chronic infections. Sixteen surgeries — and counting.

In this episode of Born For This Stories, we sit down with Lindsay, a mom raising her 10-year-old son Ronan who was diagnosed in utero with EEC syndrome (Ectrodactyly Ectodermal Dysplasia Cleft), a rare genetic disorder that affects development of the hands, feet, teeth, skin, sweat glands, eyes, and more.

This conversation is about more than medical complexity. It's about receiving a life-altering diagnosis during a routine ultrasound. It's about guilt, resilience, research, advocacy, and building a community when you didn't know one existed. It's about traveling for specialized pediatric care, preparing for surgery after surgery, and still raising a child who plays sports, creates art, and dreams big.

If you are parenting through a rare disease diagnosis, congenital differences, cleft repair, chronic medical needs, or a long surgical journey, this episode will remind you that you are not alone — and that community changes everything.

– What EEC syndrome is and how it presents differently in every child – Receiving a prenatal rare genetic diagnosis and processing guilt – Navigating cleft lip and palate repair, limb differences, and dental reconstruction – Managing chronic medical complications and multiple surgeries – Traveling for specialized pediatric care – Finding support through the National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasias (NFED) – Accessing nonprofit and community resources for medical families – Raising siblings within a high-medical-needs household – The power of educating your community to build support

If you are walking a rare diagnosis journey — whether prenatal, newly diagnosed, or years into treatment — we would be honored to hold space for your story.

Share your story at bornforthistories.com Follow along on Instagram @bornforthiststories Subscribe and leave a review to help more families navigating rare diseases and congenital conditions find this community

New episodes release every Monday.

Wherever you are in the journey — diagnosis day, surgery prep, recovery, or long-term maintenance — you do not have to carry it alone.

Different diagnoses. Different surgeries. Different waiting rooms. And yet — the same questions whispered in the dark.

In this solo episode, hosts Johanna and Peter step back from guest interviews to reflect on the patterns they keep hearing from medical parents across the world. From hypospadias and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis to limb differences, clubfoot, and DiGeorge syndrome, the diagnoses may vary — but the emotional experience is strikingly similar.

If you are a caregiver navigating a birth defect, chronic condition, unexpected diagnosis, multiple surgeries, or lifelong medical care, this episode speaks directly to you. We unpack the quiet self-doubt, the late-night research spirals, the guilt, the minimization of your own story, the isolation inside Facebook groups, and the weight parents carry long after procedures are complete.

This is a conversation about validation. About caregiver burnout. About advocacy. About becoming an expert in your child's condition overnight. And about why no story is "too small" to matter.

You are not dramatic. You are not behind. And you are not alone.

– The common emotional patterns shared by medical parents – Why caregivers minimize their own stories – The relativity of trauma and diagnosis severity – Navigating hypospadias and invisible birth defects – Becoming your child's primary advocate in the medical system – Late-night "Dr. Google" spirals and research fatigue – The limitations of online support groups and Facebook communities – Caregiver burnout and emotional regulation – Processing guilt and questioning what caused a diagnosis – Speaking from scars versus open wounds – Why safe, nonjudgmental storytelling spaces matter – The impact of hearing "me too" in a waiting room – Building community beyond just a podcast

If this episode felt familiar, that is not an accident.

If you are parenting through a medical diagnosis, surgery season, chronic care, early intervention, or long-term follow-up — this space was built for you.

🌿 Share your story: bornforthiststories.com 💛 Follow along on Instagram: @bornforthiststories 🎧 Subscribe, rate, and share Born For This Stories to help more parents feel less alone

New episodes release every Monday.

Wherever you are — the waiting room, the research phase, the recovery season, or years beyond — you do not have to carry this alone.

What happens after the diagnosis? After the shock fades? After the appointments end and the real work of parenting begins?

In Part Two of Kari and Ali's story, we move from isolation to action. This episode dives into what it looks like when parents realize the systems meant to support them are incomplete — and choose to build something better. From navigating COVID isolation to organizing 150-plus family meetups, launching a global podcast, and founding a 501c3 nonprofit, Kari and Ali are redefining what advocacy and community look like for families raising children with limb differences.

If you are parenting a child with a congenital limb difference, navigating early intervention, searching for adaptive resources, or simply longing for connection after a diagnosis, this conversation is for you.

This is Part 2 of Kari & Ali's story.

– The isolation families experience after a limb difference diagnosis – How COVID intensified the emotional and logistical challenges of finding community – Why early intervention access and reevaluation advocacy matter – The power of in-person meetups for children with limb differences – Organizing large-scale community events during Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month – Launching the podcast Parenting Children with Limb Differences – Interviewing parents, clinicians, adaptive sports leaders, and children's authors – Creating a centralized resource hub for congenital limb differences – Founding the Limb Difference Collective Foundation (501c3) – Making community events financially accessible for families – Adaptive sports, national competitions, and travel realities in the disability space – The "Hugs in a Box" initiative for newly diagnosed families – Why representation, translation, and accessibility matter in advocacy

If today's episode resonated with you, we invite you to share your story and connect with our growing community of families navigating diagnoses, differences, and healing.

🌿 Share your story: bornforthiststories.com 💛 Follow along on Instagram: @bornforthiststories 🎧 Subscribe, rate, and share Born For This Stories to help more parents feel less alone

You were born for this — and you don't have to carry it by yourself.

Some diagnoses are discovered before birth. Others arrive as a surprise in the delivery room. Both can leave parents searching for answers they were never given.

In this episode of Born For This Stories, Johanna and Peter sit down with Kari and Ali, two mothers raising children with limb differences whose paths into medical parenting looked very different, yet led them to the same place: advocacy, connection, and community-building. This conversation focuses on their individual journeys — from prenatal ultrasounds and unexpected birth diagnoses to navigating early intervention, medical systems, and the emotional weight parents carry long after appointments end.

This episode is about what happens when families aren't given enough information or support — and choose to build it themselves.

This is Part 1 of Kari & Ali's story.

• Discovering limb differences through prenatal diagnosis versus surprise at birth

• Processing shock, grief, and uncertainty after diagnosis

• Navigating medical systems that often lack nuance and guidance

• Early intervention, occupational therapy, and physical therapy experiences

• The emotional labor parents carry that isn't captured in medical charts

• Advocating for children in healthcare and educational settings

• The gaps families encounter when seeking resources and community

• Why representation and visibility matter for children with limb differences

• Helping children build confidence, language, and self-trust

• How Kari and Ali found each other — and why connection changed everything

If today's episode resonated with you, we invite you to share your story and connect with our growing community of families navigating diagnoses, differences, and healing.

🌿 Share your story: bornforthiststories.com 💛 Follow along on Instagram: @bornforthiststories 🎧 Subscribe, rate, and share Born For This Stories to help more parents feel less alone

You were born for this — and you don't have to carry it by yourself.

There is a moment in many parents' lives when everything shifts — often quietly, in a doctor's office or an ultrasound room.

In this episode of Born For This Stories, Johanna and Peter sit down with Regina, a mother navigating the complex realities of raising a medically fragile child with DeGeorge Syndrome and a congenital heart condition. From a prenatal diagnosis to open-heart surgery just days after birth, Regina shares what it means to live inside long hospital stays, constant monitoring, and the emotional weight of advocating for a child who cannot yet speak for herself.

This conversation explores the unseen layers of medical parenting, including immune compromise, feeding challenges, developmental delays, and the responsibility of coordinating care across dozens of specialists. Regina's story is a powerful reminder that parental intuition matters, advocacy can be exhausting, and strength is often built quietly in waiting rooms and hospital hallways.

• Receiving a prenatal diagnosis of DeGeorge syndrome and congenital heart disease

• Preparing for delivery and immediate transfer to a children's hospital

• Navigating open-heart surgery in the first days of life

• Coordinating care across more than 20 medical specialists

• Managing immune deficiency, infusions, oxygen support, and feeding tubes

• Learning advanced medical care skills as a parent

• Advocating for a child during medical emergencies and hospitalizations

• The emotional toll of being dismissed while pushing for higher-level care

• Supporting siblings while managing complex medical needs

• Finding grounding through therapy, creativity, and community

• Looking ahead while accepting long-term medical care as part of life

If today's episode resonated with you, we invite you to share your story and connect with our growing community of families navigating diagnoses, differences, and healing.

🌿 Share your story: bornforthiststories.com 💛 Follow along on Instagram: @bornforthiststories 🎧 Subscribe, rate, and share Born For This Stories to help more parents feel less alone

You were born for this — and you don't have to carry it by yourself.

Some parenting journeys reshape not only how you care for your child, but how you see the world.

In this episode of Born For This Stories, Johanna and Peter sit down with Marcia, a mother whose journey into medical parenting required her to navigate complex diagnoses, cultural expectations, and the ongoing work of advocacy. Marcia shares how becoming a parent to a child with unique needs challenged her assumptions, strengthened her voice, and ultimately transformed her sense of identity.

This conversation explores the emotional and practical realities of raising a child with complex needs — from navigating medical systems and therapies to balancing family dynamics, self-trust, and resilience. Marcia's story highlights the quiet strength required to keep showing up, even when the path forward isn't clearly defined.

This episode is for parents learning how to advocate, adapt, and hold space for both their child's needs and their own humanity.

• Entering the world of medical parenting and complex care

• Learning to advocate within healthcare and educational systems

• Navigating uncertainty, overwhelm, and long-term planning

• How identity shifts when parenting doesn't look the way you expected

• Balancing hope, realism, and daily responsibility

• The emotional labor of being a primary advocate for your child

• Finding strength through experience rather than certainty

• Why community and shared stories matter

• Redefining success, progress, and resilience

• What Marcia wishes more people understood about families like hers

If today's episode resonated with you, we invite you to share your story and connect with our growing community of families navigating diagnoses, differences, and healing.

🌿 Share your story: bornforthiststories.com 💛 Follow along on Instagram: @bornforthiststories 🎧 Subscribe, rate, and share Born For This Stories to help more parents feel less alone

You were born for this — and you don't have to carry it by yourself.