When Sarah was assigned to care for baby Zariah in the NICU, she fell in love with her. When Zariah’s birth parents neglected to visit or be involved, it was clear that Zariah would need a foster home, and eventual adoption.

Sarah immediately knew she was meant to be her mother. Convincing her husband Steve was another story. Because of HIPAA laws, he wasn’t allowed to meet Zariah until they were officially her foster parents. Miraculously, he agreed.

After several months as a family, Zariah passed away as a result of a tragic trach accident with her home health nurse.

In this episode, Sarah shares their journey with Zariah, and all the love they share.

Links:

Follow Sarah on Instagram @adoptive.foster.medical.mama.

Answer this month’s question.

See pics of Sarah and fam.

Join Parents of Children with Rare Conditions FB group.

It is SO good to be back! After an extra long break between seasons, I’m here with a brand-new season of episodes all centered around our personal journey as parents and caregivers. Obviously, we refer to our personal journeys frequently in virtually every episode, but Season 5 is a chance to really home in on and talk about what occurs for us at a very personal level while facing a very different reality than we had envisioned for ourselves.

In this episode, you’ll get a closer look at this season’s theme, and listen to extended clips of the first four episodes coming your way.

Links:

Follow meon Instagram.

Follow the Facebook page.

Join the Facebook group Parents of Children with Rare Conditions.

Donate to the podcast via Buy Me a Coffee.

Check out our appointment day merch.

Check out our sponsor BetterHelp for online licensed therapy.

For those of you who haven’t heard, we are currently BETWEEN seasons 4 and 5, with a longer break than usual—7 weeks to be exact! I’m using this time to catch up in episode production compassionately and intentionally. I’ll be back in full force with season 5 on January 6th.

But this break is no reason to stop consuming great episodes! I have 72 awesome episodes at your disposal. And each week, I’ll recommend an episode that I think you’ll enjoy. Each of them are under-listened gems that you may have missed, but will be glad to catch. I’m so excited to re-share them with you!

This week’s recommended episode is Ep. 22: It’s All My Fault, an exceptionally vulnerable solo episode about finding out I’m a carrier for my son’s genetic syndrome. I share the profound guilt I carry, and the emotions surrounding the fact that I might pass it on to another child someday.

Next week’s episode is Season 5’s Kickoff! I’m stoked to be back with fresh, new episodes.

For those of you who haven’t heard, we are currently BETWEEN seasons 4 and 5, with a longer break than usual—7 weeks to be exact! I’m using this time to catch up in episode production compassionately and intentionally. I’ll be back in full force with season 5 on January 6th.

But this break is no reason to stop consuming great episodes! I have 72 awesome episodes at your disposal. And each week, I’ll recommend an episode that I think you’ll enjoy. Each of them are under-listened gems that you may have missed, but will be glad to catch. I’m so excited to re-share them with you!

This week’s recommended episode is Ep. 54: Disabled-Adult Perspective with the lovely Erica Stearns. In this heartwarming episode, Erica shares the dos and don’ts of medically complex parenting as she has learned as both a medically complex daughter, and mother to two medically complex children.

For those of you who haven’t heard, we are currently BETWEEN seasons 4 and 5, with a longer break than usual—7 weeks to be exact! I’m using this time to catch up in episode production compassionately and intentionally. I’ll be back in full force with season 5 on January 6th.

But this break is no reason to stop consuming great episodes! I have 72 awesome episodes at your disposal. And each week, I’ll recommend an episode that I think you’ll enjoy. Each of them are under-listened gems that you may have missed, but will be glad to catch. I’m so excited to re-share them with you!

This week’s recommended episode is Ep. 33: It’s OK to be Angry, with our local children’s hospital’s palliative care team member Orley Bills. In this episode, we talk about the extremely difficult decisions we must make for our children, and that all emotions are ok.

For those of you who haven’t heard, we are currently BETWEEN seasons 4 and 5, with a longer break than usual—7 weeks to be exact! I’m using this time to catch up in episode production compassionately and intentionally. I’ll be back in full force with season 5 on January 6th.

But this break is no reason to stop consuming great episodes! I have 72 awesome episodes at your disposal. And each week, I’ll recommend an episode that I think you’ll enjoy. Each of them are under-listened gems that you may have missed, but will be glad to catch. I’m so excited to re-share them with you!

This week’s recommended episode is Ep. 39: Inclusive Books are for Everyone. In this episode, I chat with three fabulous authors of inclusive children’s books—Macy Gilson (author of Kindness is Golden), Jessica Parham (author of Good to be Me and Baking up a Storm), and Megan DeJarnett (author of No Such Thing as Normal).

For those of you who haven’t heard, we are currently BETWEEN seasons 4 and 5, with a longer break than usual—7 weeks to be exact! I’m using this time to catch up in episode production compassionately and intentionally. I’ll be back in full force with season 5 on January 6th.

But this break is no reason to stop consuming great episodes! I have 72 awesome episodes at your disposal. And each week, I’ll recommend an episode that I think you’ll enjoy. Each of them are under-listened gems that you may have missed, but will be glad to catch. I’m so excited to re-share them with you!

This week’s recommended episode is Ep. 37: The Story of Lily. In it, I chat with one of my all-time favorite guests Jess Wolff whose twin daughters were born at 24-week gestation. One of her daughters, Autumn, sadly passed away, and Lily spent her first year in the NICU.

For those of you who haven’t heard, we are currently BETWEEN seasons 4 and 5, with a longer break than usual—7 weeks to be exact! I’m using this time to catch up in episode production compassionately and intentionally. I’ll be back in full force with season 5 on January 6th.

But this break is no reason to stop consuming great episodes! I have 72 awesome episodes at your disposal. And each week, I’ll recommend an episode that I think you’ll enjoy. Each of them are under-listened gems that you may have missed, but will be glad to catch. I’m so excited to re-share them with you!

This week’s recommended episode is Ep. 48: Lifting the Curtain, a solo episode celebrating the one year anniversary of the podcast. I share some behind-the-scenes on the creation and upkeep of the show, the ways it’s impacted many of you, and the power of vulnerability.

For those of you who haven’t heard, we are currently BETWEEN seasons 4 and 5, with a longer break than usual—7 weeks to be exact! I’m using this time to catch up in episode production compassionately and intentionally. I’ll be back in full force with season 5 on January 6th.

But this break is no reason to stop consuming great episodes! I have 72 awesome episodes at your disposal. And each week, I’ll recommend an episode that I think you’ll enjoy. Each of them are under-listened gems that you may have missed, but will be glad to catch. I’m so excited to re-share them with you!

This week’s recommended episode is Ep. 25: EMDR Trauma Therapy w/ Rosey Shaeffermeyer. In it, I chat with my therapist about the trauma therapy that changed my life and allowed me to move through difficult events around Kimball’s medical complexities and birth.

Another awesome season come and gone! This episode is in celebration and appreciation of the meaningful episodes, guests, and listeners of season 4.

In this episode, I share a few behind-the-scenes of the season (with an exciting update!) and reminisce as we listen to the sixteen episodes condensed into a two-minute segment. I also share and respond to three audio submissions from parent-listeners as they speak of the impact the podcast has had on them, and their favorite episodes of season 4.

Links:

Pitch in on the group gift for our dedicated interns.

Ep. 67: What Your Child’s Doctors Want You to Know but Don’t Tell You w/Dr. Dominic Moore

Ep. 60: Blindness

Ep. 69: Vanessa’s Story

Ep. 70: Accessibility and Ableism w/ Vanessa McLeod

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