When a child experiences medical trauma, parents are often overlooked—but their role is powerful.

In this episode of the Medical Trauma Support Podcast, I’m joined by neuropsychologist and founder of Parenting Kids with CHD, Dawn Ilardi, who has spent over 16 years working in pediatric healthcare. Together, we explore how parents’ nervous systems, emotional responses, and sense of agency directly shape a child’s medical experience.

We talk about:

• Why parents are often “the missing patient” in pediatric care

• How parental stress, anxiety, and trauma affect children’s outcomes

• The power of co-regulation, presence, and advocacy

• Why dissociation can be protective—and how healing happens gently

• How asking for “the pause” can change everything

This conversation is for parents navigating medical systems, clinicians wanting to understand family dynamics, and anyone impacted by medical trauma .

Learn more about Dawn's work, Parenting Kids with CHD, https://parentingchd.podia.com/

Learn more about the Befriend Your Body Community, where you can access peer support, nervous system education and a Foundation Course: https://your-bc-befriend.mn.co/landing

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