“I would feel like my son represented the pain.” Callie

“I’m supposed to love you and nurture you but right now when I am elbow deep in diarrhea, I am full of rage.” Callie

“Praise Jesus my baby lived so I’m not allowed to speak about the difficulties.” Jess

“Moms need to speak the truth so that we can see change.” Jess

“Somehow in my mind I was supposed to muscle through this.” Callie

“ I wish I would have raised my hand and said, I need help.” Callie

“You are just in a state of existence.” Callie

[I thought] “Yes, I’m glad he’s home, but I’m also terrified that he’s home.” Callie

“I had three different doctors diagnose me with PTSD in those days.” Callie.

In this episode of Coffee with Caregivers, Jess sits down with her friend Callie Daruk, an award-winning author and speaker. She is also a hands-on mother of three spirited boys. After nearly a year-long stay in the NICU with one of her twins who was diagnosed with necrotizing enterocolitis, her rose-colored glasses shattered. Her new book, What Does God Want You to do Before You Die, details her traumatic but hopeful story. She also serves as the Chapter President of Word Weavers Int., and her writing has appeared in Guideposts, The Upper Room, Focus on the Family, Kids Clubhouse, Charisma, Just 18 Summers and Nashville Christian Voice magazines.

Jess and Callie go deep in this conversation, discussing symptoms of PTSD that they each experienced after the birth of their children, the “miracle baby” syndrome, and how desperately they needed help during the earliest days as special needs moms.