What if there were a roadmap for everything you need to know to take care of yourself and your family when you get a serious diagnosis for your child or someone you love? Now there is. 

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Laura Lang-Ree, author of The Cancer Parents Handbook, who transformed her family's childhood cancer journey into a roadmap for other parents facing medical crises.

When Laura's three-year-old daughter Cecilia said, "It hurts everywhere, mama," no one expected a cancer diagnosis would soon follow. What began as another doctor's visit quickly spiraled into years of treatment, hospital stays, and learning to navigate the complex medical system as her daughter's fiercest advocate.

Laura shares the raw, unfiltered reality of parenting a child through cancer—from the initial shock to the development of practical coping strategies. She introduces us to her daughter's concept of "positude," and explains how this simple idea became their family's rallying cry through the darkest days of treatment.

With refreshing candor, Laura breaks down her no-nonsense "get your shit together" philosophy that helped her family not just survive but find moments of joy despite overwhelming circumstances. She offers actionable advice on creating "hospital parties," managing medical information, and ensuring siblings don't get lost in the chaos.

This conversation isn't just for parents dealing with childhood cancer. Laura's insights apply to anyone facing a crisis that demands resilience, advocacy, and the courage to ask for help when you need it most.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• How to actually get your shit together
• How to become your child's best advocate 
• Practical ways to create a "new normal" 
• How to distinguish between what you need to know right now versus what can wait
• Specific ways friends and family can actually help (not just offer) during a medical crisis
• Strategies for protecting siblings when one child requires intensive medical care
• Self-care techniques that work even when you think you don't have time for them
• Ways to reclaim agency and control in situations that feel completely uncontrollable
• How to find "positude" even on your darkest days, without falling into toxic positivity

Learn more about Laura:

Website

Instagram

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Music credit: Limitless by Bells