I had been looking for a mama to a child with Tourette Sydrome for a while, and I was so excited to find Katie Reall who is a mom to four kids, TWO of whom have TS. She shares about her journey with her oldest son, Sam, who is now a young adult, and then her second journey with her daughter, Annie, who has some similarities to Sam in her Tourette journey, but who also presents very differently. Katie and her family first educated themselves, then others locally such as teachers and classmates, and they now advocate for individuals with TS throughout their state and even the nation, working at camps and educating others. I learned so much from this interview not just about Tourette Syndrome, but also about how this family bonded together to fill their lives with support, laughter, and purpose.

Find out more about the camps Katie mentions here:

https://www.camptwitchandshout.org/

https://www.tourettecampusa.com/

Resources:

Tourette Association: https://tourette.org/https://www.instagram.com/touretteassociation/

Find Katie on IG https://www.instagram.com/gigispetals/

Donate here:https://secure.everyaction.com/_UenJReuik-CA5GrR0zqIg2

It was such a pleasure chatting with Abbey Benjamin today. Abby is mama to two children and her daughter, Avery, has a rare genetic disease that led to their family life being different than anticipated. Notice I said different, though, and not one bit less because Abbey makes sure that Avery has the opportunity to go out and live an amazing life filled with trips, adventures, and very importantly, dance class. Abbey shares about how she learned about the importance of inclusion from adults with disabilities and how this changed how she advocated for her daughter. So many good lessons in this one and you just can't help but feel happy when you see Avery's big smile on social media. It was such an honor to learn about this amazing family!

Follow Abbey and Avery on IG: @abbeybenj

Abbey's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=abbey+luckett+benjamin&crid=3LI6ZVXVCXDA3&sprefix=abbey+benjami%2Caps%2C150&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_2_13

Welcome to Season 4! I'm so excited to bring you today's episode which is one I've wanted to do for a long time. Kelley is with us today to talk about balancing being a firefighter while also being a mom. She shares about how she got into this career, how things changed when she became pregnant, what it was like returning to such a physically demanding job post-partum, and how she juggles parenthood with the demands of 24 hour shifts and occasional 2 week strike teams to combat wildfires. Basically, Kelley is freaking AWESOME, I learned so much, and I am so thankful that there are mamas like her in the world who protect our families.

Welcome to the Season 3 Finale - I'll be back in a month with Season 4!

Today's interview is such an important topic. I have Kalyn with me who openly shares her experience about what happened when her daughter swallowed a button battery and how this has led her to educate others so more children are safe. This episode includes:

- An open discussion about post-partum mental health issues and about the massive challenges moms face

- What happened when her daughter swallowed the battery including symptoms, an ambulance ride, how it was removed, and a hospital stay

- Lots of great safety information about button batteries - they're hiding everywhere!

I had the honor today of chatting with Kali whose daughter, Sutton, has a feeding tube. This has not in any way stopped her from competing with her high-level cheer team. In fact, she's used her small size to her advantage becoming a flyer, often seen at the top of stunts. In this episode, Kali shares:

- Why Sutton's doctors decided a feeding tube would help her

- What it's like preparing a child for a feeding tube, including educating her classmates and cheer team

- How Sutton makes her feeding tube work in cheer (hint: it involves her ponytail!)

- How cheer has built her self-confidence about her size

- How Sutton is working to help other kids in similar situations to not be scared and to pursue their dreams, despite medical challenges

Follow Kali and Sutton on IG @thelittlestflyer

When you think of February, you may think of the hearts associated with Valentine's Day ... but even more importantly is that February is American Heart Month! So the timing is perfect to bring you today's interview with amazing heart mama, Kennidi! Kennidi's 7-year-old daughter, Oakley, was born with several heart defects and after having a few surgeries when she was younger, Oakley's family was told that her best option was a heart transplant. Oakley has now been on the transplant list for around a year and for almost all of this time, they have been living at the hospital, waiting for the call about a heart. Kennidi shares about how she tries to make it fun for a 7-year-old living in a hospital room, how hard it's been spending time away from Oakley's younger brother, and how her family is making it work and having hope. Amidst living in the hospital, Kennidi and Oakley also created a skin care line! I can't wait to share this amazing story with you all so Oakley and her mom can inspire you like they do me!

Find Kennidi and Oakley's skincare line at: https://oakleygraceskin.com/

Follow Kennidi on IG: @welcometoourbeautifulmess and Oakley: @oaksperfectheart

You can also support Oakley here: https://www.supportnow.org/the-werley-family?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZpjIPVRu6YjrTECaYaCx9IGsVhEYHseho23SV1aq6dWV0asLMtuK3XHb8_aem_2qQYQJmJ0osbCBZTf_vVJg

This is a big thing to say, but it's true: this interview changed my life. I had the complete honor of interviewing Salym Liufau who is a mom of 4. Salym shares about her journey with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). While this diagnosis may have slowed down what she can do physically, it has also led her to really understand what is important in life - no longer worrying about things like having a Pinterest-worthy house, but instead, stopping to really absorb the joy in her children's faces and snuggling together as a family in bed, sharing movie nights. I'm so excited to share this episode with you all, and I hope it touches your hearts as much as it did mine.

Follow Salym on IG @alswithsalym

Anita Coyle was living the chaotic motherhood life many of us understand, juggling four children and work as a physical therapist, when one day, her very healthy husband went for a swim, went into the locker room, and died. Anita, whose children ranged between 2 and 12 years old at the time, was left as the solo parent, thrust into navigating this new life while also moving through her own grief journey. She shares the raw and real moments and gives advice for others going through devastating times. She also opens up about how training for triathlons was what kept her going during that time and how she had to advocate for herself to get this time for herself each day. Beyond this, she also joins a friend to host a podcast, helping others who are traversing through widowhood. Anita is one AMAZING mama and athlete, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for her!

Find her podcast, Widow We Do Now, at https://widowwedonow.com/ and on Apple and Spotify!

Five years ago, Catherine suffered an amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) during the delivery of her second daughter leading to ECMO, DIC, a stroke, and an ICU stay followed by a long recovery process that continues today. She beat terriflyingly low odds of survival and has used her journey to help others by creating her own podcast focusing on perinatal trauma where mothers can share their stories and trauma around childbirth can be openly discussed. Her story will have you on the edge of your seat as she tells how she battled each day to live.

You can find her website here: https://www.birthtraumastories.com

Check out her podcast here:

https://podcasts.apple.com/ke/podcast/birth-trauma-stories-formerly-the-twinky-chronicles/id1616407391

You can find her on IG: @birthtraumastoriespodcast

Jennifer could never have expected how her life would change when her daugther, Allison, sprained her ankle. Doctors and physical therapists became alarmed when after 8 weeks, Allison had not improved and in fact, her foot was contracted and would no longer move. From here, Jennifer and Allison began a journey that eventually led to genetic testing and a diagnosis of dystonia, follwed by brain surgery that had a complication, leaving Allison's speech and movement more impaired. Not willing to collapse under the weight of all that had changed, both Jennifer and Allison dove in to every treatment and therapy they could find, and they have hope for improvement in the future. Jennifer shares honestly about the challenges of being disappointed in people she thought were her friends and how Allison has turned her situation around to educate and help others.

This is a POWERFUL one with a lot of lessons for all of us as we move into 2025.

Check out these links!

Allison's GoFund me to help get a wheelchair-accessible van:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/Pallisons-journey?utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link

Allison's Etsy shop:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/pallisonscreations/?etsrc=sdt&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaam4MviL_eOyJfhRQNE2BA0KO8z1VtXx99dU2YE0DuKsY1AG-RSAB-FTgo_aem_XAMHRxu-6cn01oVIvSUhlQ

Allison's Amazon Wish List:

https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/10Y5WKJUO9LPV

Billy Footwear Link: https://billyfootwear.com/?ref=PALLISONS_JOURNEY

Allison's merch!

https://www.bonfire.com/store/pallisons-journey/

Allison's IG:

@pallisons_journey