Empowered by Hope

Send us a text, we want to hear from you!

“You are worthy of happiness and joy in parenthood and this happening to you isn’t your fault,” today’s guest Elaine Bishop reminds us. She adds, “There is still so much joy to be had in raising these little people, even though it’s not going to look like what you thought it would.” 

These are just some of the nuggets of wisdom Elaine shares with us in this incredible episode on advocacy. Elaine is a certified nurse midwife and Emily Whiting’s former Maternal Fetal Medicine Care Coordinator when she was pregnant with Charlotte. 

Elaine shares words of deep compassion and invaluable insight for those facing prenatal diagnoses and she also gives concrete tips for advocating for your unborn child. She says, “Advocacy can sometimes feel synonymous with conflict, but it’s not necessarily,” and she provides basic tips for beginning your advocacy journey. 

You don’t want to miss this episode! 

We kindly ask that you share this podcast with other families who might benefit from our insights and support. Additionally, please take a brief moment to leave a review on your preferred podcast platform, which helps us to reach as many families as possible who are navigating this challenging journey, so they can find our support circle and access the assistance they rightfully deserve. No one should walk this journey alone.

To get more personal support, connect with us directly at:
https://parentempowermentnetwork.org

Facebook: Parent Empowerment Network
Instagram: ParentEmpowermentNetwork
Join the Parent Empowerment Network Community of Hope
Get your copy of She is Charlotte: A Mother’s Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Journey with Her Child with Medical Complexities by Emily K Whiting on Amazon 

Send us a text, we want to hear from you!

Ashlyn and Emery take us with them as they fly from Indiana, United States of America, to London, United Kingdom, for a life-changing procedure. 

They are the first American patients to undergo this surgery which is not (yet) offered in the United States. In this episode you will learn the background story of what led Ashlyn and her family to decide to “cross the pond” for their daughter’s medical care. 

We discuss the hardships, fears, excitement and worries that go into making such monumental decisions for our kids. We talk about the common barriers to “medical tourism" which the Thompson family face. We launch our trip alongside Ashlyn and Emery as we support them and cheer them on in their journey toward healing. 

We kindly ask that you share this podcast with other families who might benefit from our insights and support. Additionally, please take a brief moment to leave a review on your preferred podcast platform, which helps us to reach as many families as possible who are navigating this challenging journey, so they can find our support circle and access the assistance they rightfully deserve. No one should walk this journey alone.

To get more personal support, connect with us directly at:
https://parentempowermentnetwork.org

Facebook: Parent Empowerment Network
Instagram: ParentEmpowermentNetwork
Join the Parent Empowerment Network Community of Hope
Get your copy of She is Charlotte: A Mother’s Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Journey with Her Child with Medical Complexities by Emily K Whiting on Amazon 

Send us a text, we want to hear from you!

Fellow mama of a beautiful child with medical complexities, Haleigh Dean shares her incredible insights to two questions we posed: 

1. Given what you’ve gone through with your child, what is one thing you wish you’d known at the beginning of your medical journey that you want to share with listeners now?
2. What is an unexpected blessing or positive that’s come from this journey that you could not have imagined at the beginning of it?

Haleigh reminds us, “it’s okay to grieve what you thought was going to be.” She encourages us, “don’t be afraid to advocate for your child,” adding, “if you feel something is not right, it’s okay to tell them (the medical professionals).” And, she gives us hope that from meeting other parents and caregivers raising children with medical complexities, she has gained confidence in her parenting/advocacy role and you can too. 

You don’t want to miss her words of wisdom! 

We kindly ask that you share this podcast with other families who might benefit from our insights and support. Additionally, please take a brief moment to leave a review on your preferred podcast platform, which helps us to reach as many families as possible who are navigating this challenging journey, so they can find our support circle and access the assistance they rightfully deserve. No one should walk this journey alone.

To get more personal support, connect with us directly at:
https://parentempowermentnetwork.org

Facebook: Parent Empowerment Network
Instagram: ParentEmpowermentNetwork
Join the Parent Empowerment Network Community of Hope
Get your copy of She is Charlotte: A Mother’s Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Journey with Her Child with Medical Complexities by Emily K Whiting on Amazon 

Send us a text, we want to hear from you!

Fellow mama of a beautiful child with medical complexities, Ashley Milbourne shares her incredible insights to two questions we posed: 

1. Given what you’ve gone through with your child, what is one thing you wish you’d known at the beginning of your medical journey that you want to share with listeners now?
2. What is an unexpected blessing or positive that’s come from this journey that you could not have imagined at the beginning of it?

She assures us, “we don’t have to have a medical degree to advocate for our babies”. She encourages us, “I can do this and you can too.” And, she reminds us, “kids are resilient!” 

This is the first of several episodes highlighting guest parents and caregiver’s answers to these questions. You don’t want to miss her invaluable story of hope! 

We kindly ask that you share this podcast with other families who might benefit from our insights and support. Additionally, please take a brief moment to leave a review on your preferred podcast platform, which helps us to reach as many families as possible who are navigating this challenging journey, so they can find our support circle and access the assistance they rightfully deserve. No one should walk this journey alone.

To get more personal support, connect with us directly at:
https://parentempowermentnetwork.org

Facebook: Parent Empowerment Network
Instagram: ParentEmpowermentNetwork
Join the Parent Empowerment Network Community of Hope
Get your copy of She is Charlotte: A Mother’s Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Journey with Her Child with Medical Complexities by Emily K Whiting on Amazon 

Send us a text, we want to hear from you!

"To the ends of the earth," says Emery's warrior mama, Ashlyn Thompson. Thankfully she doesn't have to go that far, but she is preparing to cross the pond to seek her daughter's treatment in London, United Kingdom. Ashlyn opens up to us about this looming trip and her daughter's procedure which is not yet offered in the United States. 

In this episode she shares about the challenges and hurdles she's navigated as she ultimately found and chose this surgical option. She also shines a light on the lack of insurance coverage for out-of-country procedures that are non-emergent. 

In this episode you will: 
- get a front row seat in Ashlyn and Emery's journey to London, U.K.,
- learn how advocacy for our kids often means having the confidence to ask a whole lot of questions,
- gain tips for seeking second opinions like a champ (Ashlyn is the pro!),
- hear Ashlyn's promise to learn more about insurance for out-of-country care,
- learn how you can support Emery and Ashlyn's family as they prepare for a surgery in a different country.

We kindly ask that you share this podcast with other families who might benefit from our insights and support. Additionally, please take a brief moment to leave a review on your preferred podcast platform, which helps us to reach as many families as possible who are navigating this challenging journey, so they can find our support circle and access the assistance they rightfully deserve. No one should walk this journey alone.

To get more personal support, connect with us directly at:
https://parentempowermentnetwork.org

Facebook: Parent Empowerment Network
Instagram: ParentEmpowermentNetwork
Join the Parent Empowerment Network Community of Hope
Get your copy of She is Charlotte: A Mother’s Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Journey with Her Child with Medical Complexities by Emily K Whiting on Amazon 

Send us a text, we want to hear from you!

You are your child's voice and the primary individual who knows your child best. Therefore, you have the honor and privilege, and also incredibly challenging and sometimes overwhelming task, to be your child's advocate for his/her medical needs. 

• What does pediatric patient advocacy mean? 
• How do you step into that role when you have no medical background? 
• What are basic ways to advocate for your child? 

Find the answers to these questions and more as Emily and Ashlyn launch the Empowered by Hope Advocacy Series. 

In this first Series episode of many to come, you'll learn some basics like how to build your child's medical team with confidence and what questions to ask (and a reminder to ask ALL your questions, even the ones you think you shouldn't). Ultimately, we will remind you that you are already your child's best advocate simply because you love him/her. The first and primary job of a pediatric patient advocate (aka: mom, dad, caregiver) is to show up for your child with unconditional love. 

You've got this, and we are here to bolster you in this role of advocacy.  

We kindly ask that you share this podcast with other families who might benefit from our insights and support. Additionally, please take a brief moment to leave a review on your preferred podcast platform, which helps us to reach as many families as possible who are navigating this challenging journey, so they can find our support circle and access the assistance they rightfully deserve. No one should walk this journey alone.

To get more personal support, connect with us directly at:
https://parentempowermentnetwork.org

Facebook: Parent Empowerment Network
Instagram: ParentEmpowermentNetwork
Join the Parent Empowerment Network Community of Hope
Get your copy of She is Charlotte: A Mother’s Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Journey with Her Child with Medical Complexities by Emily K Whiting on Amazon 

Send us a text, we want to hear from you!

After five years of struggling with chronic and acute pain with her daughter, Emily shares her breakthrough moment that happened this week, finally discovering the answers their family has sought for addressing Charlotte's pain. Through trial and error, and many frustrations and setbacks, Emily is learning first-hand what it means to be your child's advocate, and is sharing her insights. Tune in to this episode to celebrate the victories of advocacy and gain tools to navigate the world of pediatric medical complexities. 

In this episode you'll learn more of the backstory of Charlotte's medical challenges, Emily's challenges and heartaches as she tries to care for her daughter while often feeling helpless to alleviate her daughters' pain, and the amazing progress that's been made toward healing in the last few months. As you listen, you will: 

• Learn what questions to ask to find the right specialist, sub-specialist, clinic or team who can best help your child. 
• Gain the confidence to keep seeking answers, keep questioning, keep pushing until your child gets the care they need. 
• Learn how humility and confidence together play a key role in your approach as an advocate. 
• See how our innate desire to seek the approval and validation of medical professionals can also be limiting, and learn how we can reorient our need for validation in a constructive manner.

We kindly ask that you share this podcast with other families who might benefit from our insights and support. Additionally, please take a brief moment to leave a review on your preferred podcast platform, which helps us to reach as many families as possible who are navigating this challenging journey, so they can find our support circle and access the assistance they rightfully deserve. No one should walk this journey alone.

To get more personal support, connect with us directly at:
https://parentempowermentnetwork.org

Facebook: Parent Empowerment Network
Instagram: ParentEmpowermentNetwork
Join the Parent Empowerment Network Community of Hope
Get your copy of She is Charlotte: A Mother’s Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Journey with Her Child with Medical Complexities by Emily K Whiting on Amazon 

Send us a text, we want to hear from you!

Join Emily & Ashlyn as they sit down to talk about the scary reality of medical bills, navigating insurance and where to get help. You’ll hear the fears they each faced, the lessons learned, and gain helpful recommendations on how best to approach the management of medical bills. 

While Emily and Ashlyn don’t work in insurance, nor claim to be experts, Emily’s family has consistently met their deductible by January 2nd every year since Charlotte was born and Ashlyn is actively taking on her insurance provider to get coverage for Emery’s upcoming surgery in London - basically, they have accumulated a lot of experience. 

Listen to this episode to learn valuable lessons about insurance and finding support that they both wish they had known at the beginning of their journeys. 

We kindly ask that you share this podcast with other families who might benefit from our insights and support. Additionally, please take a brief moment to leave a review on your preferred podcast platform, which helps us to reach as many families as possible who are navigating this challenging journey, so they can find our support circle and access the assistance they rightfully deserve. No one should walk this journey alone.

To get more personal support, connect with us directly at:
https://parentempowermentnetwork.org

Facebook: Parent Empowerment Network
Instagram: ParentEmpowermentNetwork
Join the Parent Empowerment Network Community of Hope
Get your copy of She is Charlotte: A Mother’s Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Journey with Her Child with Medical Complexities by Emily K Whiting on Amazon 

Send us a text, we want to hear from you!

It all started with a text between two long-distance friends and quickly evolved into the formation of Charlotte’s Hope Foundation, Inc. In this episode you’ll hear how the passion of two moms turned into the creation of this 501(c)(3) that’s dedicated to supporting, encouraging and educating parents and caregivers of children with complex medical needs. You’ll learn the immediate and long-term goals of Charlotte’s Hope Foundation and how Emily and Ashlyn plan to empower parents and caregivers as their child’s capable advocates. 

Join us in this amazing cause by visiting CharlottesHopeFoundation.org and following us on Instagram and Facebook. You can also join our Facebook Charlotte’s Hope Foundation - Empowered by Hope Podcast group for community among other parents and caregivers raising their children with complex medical needs. 

We kindly ask that you share this podcast with other families who might benefit from our insights and support. Additionally, please take a brief moment to leave a review on your preferred podcast platform, which helps us to reach as many families as possible who are navigating this challenging journey, so they can find our support circle and access the assistance they rightfully deserve. No one should walk this journey alone.

To get more personal support, connect with us directly at:
https://parentempowermentnetwork.org

Facebook: Parent Empowerment Network
Instagram: ParentEmpowermentNetwork
Join the Parent Empowerment Network Community of Hope
Get your copy of She is Charlotte: A Mother’s Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Journey with Her Child with Medical Complexities by Emily K Whiting on Amazon 

Send us a text, we want to hear from you!

When your child suffers with illness, treatment plans and pain from their complex medical needs, it’s natural to wonder why God would allow this. Whether consciously or not, and even whether Christian or not, many parents and caregivers find themselves wondering this question—why does God allow my child to suffer. There is nothing like childhood illness that brings us to the end of our own capacity and makes us turn to the Infinite. 

In this episode, Emily and Ashlyn vulnerably share their own struggles with this question, including the full range of emotions from guilt to anger, resentment to acceptance. While neither claim to have the answers, they shed light on what to do with this question when it comes to mind and help you focus on this one important truth. If you’re looking for consolation, encouragement and direction with what to do when you wonder this question, this episode is for you!

We kindly ask that you share this podcast with other families who might benefit from our insights and support. Additionally, please take a brief moment to leave a review on your preferred podcast platform, which helps us to reach as many families as possible who are navigating this challenging journey, so they can find our support circle and access the assistance they rightfully deserve. No one should walk this journey alone.

To get more personal support, connect with us directly at:
https://parentempowermentnetwork.org

Facebook: Parent Empowerment Network
Instagram: ParentEmpowermentNetwork
Join the Parent Empowerment Network Community of Hope
Get your copy of She is Charlotte: A Mother’s Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Journey with Her Child with Medical Complexities by Emily K Whiting on Amazon