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This open conversation between co-hosts, Emily & Ashlyn, offers clear language, practical insight, and zero judgment for parents, caregivers, and anyone walking the tightrope of medical advocacy and family life.

What changes when the caregiver’s well-being becomes the foundation of the family—not an afterthought squeezed into the margins? We dig into the real-world difference between mental well-being (clear thinking, decision-making, stress management) and emotional well-being (awareness, regulation, expression), and show how both systems work together when you’re navigating complex care, hospital stays, and the relentless logistics of raising a medically complex child.

We share a raw, honest arc—from coasting on grit to running on fumes—and the moment a therapist reframed anxiety through the lens of modeling. Kids don’t just hear our words; they absorb our state. When we pause to name feelings, set a 20-minute boundary for a solo walk, or ask for help before we explode, we’re teaching emotional regulation in real time. That’s not selfish; it’s skill transmission that lifts the whole household. You’ll hear why survival mode makes “take care of yourself” feel impossible, how delayed processing can hit when the fires calm, and how grace—not guilt—creates the space to refuel without apology.

We connect the dots between caregiver health, fewer blow-ups, better decisions, calmer hospital interactions, and a higher quality of life for every member of the family. We also point you to a companion blog with expanded reasons and resources, plus a preview of our next chapter on the “how” of making change stick in a busy, unpredictable reality.

If this resonated, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs it, and leave a quick review to help other caregivers find these tools. Tell us: what’s one small refuel you can commit to this week?

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

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A powerful new anthem is available for parents walking the complex medical journey with their children. Emily Whiting sits down with singer-songwriter Gina Brooklyn to unveil "Through Every Storm," a song created specifically for the Parent Empowerment Network community that captures the heartache, hope, and profound love that defines raising a medically complex child.

The song's journey began over a year ago when Gina, moved by the mission of supporting parents through medical complexity, set out to transform Emily's heartfelt words into music. "Every second, every moment that I get to love you is such a gift," begins the lyrical journey that acknowledges both the privilege and pain of loving a child through medical challenges. What makes this collaboration uniquely powerful is how it balances hopeful realism – neither glossing over struggles nor surrendering to despair.

In a surprising twist of providence, shortly after writing this song for others, Gina found herself battling serious health challenges of her own. Following a severe COVID infection, she received diagnoses of POTS, mast cell activation disease, and hereditary alpha tryptasemia – experiences that brought new depth to lyrics like "If it rains or if it pours, His love will carry you through every storm." Gina vulnerably shares this personal journey, revealing how her own medical complexity has deepened her connection to the song's message.

"Through Every Storm" releases in late August, with 50% of all proceeds directly supporting Parent Empowerment Network's mission. A beautiful music video featuring Charlotte and Emery will follow on YouTube. Whether you're sitting at a NICU bedside, up at 2 AM with a child in pain, or simply needing a reminder that you're not alone, this song offers a musical sanctuary where weary parents can find rest. Download it, share it, and let it carry you through your own storms – while helping us continue supporting families just like yours.

Links to view and download "Every Storm": https://lynkify.in/song/through-every-storm/jD2JXqMe

YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQ0BRnPv7nM

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

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When you’re caring for a medically complex child, you need help—but it’s overwhelming and exhausting to field the constant “Let me know how I can help,” “Just call me if you need anything,” or “What can I do for you?” messages. The decision fatigue for parents in crisis is grueling. We desperately need the help, but our supporters need a clear path that empowers them to actually be helpful.

That’s why Ashlyn sat down with Jordan Arogeti, co-founder of Support Now, to share a free support registry every family needs to know about. Most of us are already juggling donation platforms, blogs, group texts, social media pages for updates, and meal train sign-ups… but what if all your needs—meals, childcare, fundraising, prayer requests, volunteer help, and more—could live in one customizable, evolving registry? Hallelujah.

Support Now is built to be supporter-led, giving your friends and family a clear path to help. They can see exactly what you need, choose how they want to contribute, and adapt as your family’s needs change—all without adding to your plate. Unlike tools that fizzle out after a few weeks, the registry is designed for sustainable, long-term support during the toughest seasons.

This conversation is personal. Ashlyn was introduced to Jordan by PEN Board Member Abby Zachritz (aka Advocacy Abby), Support Now’s Director of Family Advocacy. Together, they’re making it easier to rally your “village” in real life, not just on social media.

If you’ve ever felt the weight of being asked “What can I do?” when you’re too exhausted to answer, this episode is for you. Hear why Parent Empowerment Network wants every family to know about this life-changing resource—and how Support Now is transforming the way communities show up for each other.

Resources from this episode:

https://www.supportnow.org/

Jordan's TEDx Talk: https://www.supportnow.org/

Support Languages Quiz: https://www.supportlanguages.com/

Advocacy Abby: https://www.advocacyabby.com

Connect - Database for Medical Expense Grants: https://grants.supportnow.org/

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

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The journey of caring for a child with rare disease or complex medical needs often leaves parents and caregivers isolated in their experience. While friends and family genuinely want to help, many struggle with knowing how to truly support without overstepping or saying the wrong thing.

Amy (Board) Bradford brings her decades of experience working with rare disease communities to share powerful, actionable strategies for supporting caregivers effectively. This conversation goes beyond the typical "let me know if you need anything" platitudes to provide specific ways supporters can take meaningful initiative.

The episode reveals three foundational approaches that can transform how we show up for caregivers: first, taking time to learn the specialized medical language of a condition rather than expecting caregivers to constantly educate; second, remembering to ask about the caregiver's emotional experience rather than focusing exclusively on the child's medical journey; and third, creatively adapting environments and activities to be more inclusive without burdening families with all the planning.

As Amy shares from her experience running camps for children with bleeding disorders, "We instilled in our staff that this was a week that we would never say no to our children." This philosophy of creative problem-solving and adaptation offers a powerful model for how supporters can reframe their thinking to create more inclusive experiences.

Whether you're a friend, family member, or community supporter looking to make a meaningful difference in a caregiver's life, or if you're a caregiver wanting to help your support circle understand how to better show up for you, this episode provides the language and practical steps to strengthen these crucial connections. Send this episode to someone in your support circle today – no explanation needed.

About Amy (Board) Bradford: Amy is an accomplished patient engagement leader and global storyteller with the proven ability to build unwavering patient community connections in complex environments. She is the Director of Patient Engagement of Believe Limited, an agency dedicated to the Rare Disease, Health and Wellness, and Patient Connection and Community space.

Believe Limited, The Patient People: https://www.believeltd.com/

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

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Child Life Specialist, Brittany Luther, brings over twenty years of expertise to answer these questions in this emotionally powerful conversation. She explains how children naturally communicate their fears and process trauma through play—whether that's with specialized medical toys from organizations like The Butterfly Pig or simply through creative exploration with everyday items.

Brittany introduces two transformative concepts parents can immediately implement: "wonder" and "pause." By creating unhurried space to wonder with your child about their experiences and feelings, you open pathways for them to express themselves in their own time and way. This practice helps children work through medical trauma at their developmental level, restoring their sense of control and agency.

The discussion explores age-appropriate preparation strategies for medical procedures—from paper chain countdowns for preschoolers to detailed preparation plans for teenagers. Through the story of young Maren's journey with her stoma care, we see how consistent, honest communication paired with simple distraction techniques gradually transformed a painful daily procedure into a moment of empowerment and connection.

Perhaps most touching is the validation for parents who've had to perform painful procedures on their children. The guilt is real, but as Brittany and host Ashley demonstrate, these moments can ultimately strengthen the parent-child bond when approached with honesty, compassion, and support. Seeking help from child life specialists isn't a sign of failure—it's a powerful way to expand your child's circle of support and reclaim the joy of simply being their parent.

*After the episode recording, Brittany’s time was spent with a warm cup of tea and “Lemon Swirls” both in the comfort of her beautiful office and in the McGill Rose Garden for her quiet reflection and work to rest her voice!

Brittany Luther is a Certified Child Life Specialist with nearly 20 years of experience supporting children and families through medical challenges. With advanced training from Duke, Vanderbilt, and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, she has worked in high-acuity settings including emergency care, oncology, and neurology. Now based in Charlotte, she combines part-time hospital work with her private practice, where she helps children, teens, and families navigate seasons of transition, diagnosis, and grief with compassion and 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

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MaryJenner, a nurse with a creative heart, founded The Butterfly Pig after writing a children's book about embracing differences—a theme that would become central to her mission of transforming pediatric medical experiences through play. Her company creates realistic medical simulation tools that children can use with their favorite stuffed animals, helping them process everything from IV placements to ostomy care in a safe, empowering environment.

The power of these medical toys extends far beyond simple distraction. When children experience procedures as something happening to them, they often feel powerless and afraid. But when they can parallel process by caring for their own "patients," something remarkable happens—they begin to understand, cooperate, and even take pride in their medical journeys. Ashley shares how her daughter went from requiring restraint during stoma care to proudly showing her stoma to friends at school after playing with a doll that had the same equipment.

This transformation occurs because children naturally learn through play. By creating approximately 80 different realistic medical devices scaled for toys, The Butterfly Pig taps into children's innate processing mechanisms. Parents and healthcare providers report children who previously couldn't sit still during procedures becoming engaged participants when they have their own medical tools to work with. The benefits extend to siblings too, who develop understanding rather than fear when they can engage with medical equipment through play.

What began as a creative project has evolved into a movement that's changing how families experience healthcare. The Butterfly Pig has introduced a Wishful Wings program where supporters can purchase toys for families who need them, creating a community of care around children with medical needs. As Mary explains, each medical experience gives children "a different type of superpower" they can eventually use to help others, transforming challenges into strengths that shape who they become.

https://thebutterflypig.com/

https://www.instagram.com/TheButterflyPig

https://www.facebook.com/TheButterflyPig

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

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How do you hold on to hope when you know your child is dying—and there’s no diagnosis, no cure, and no roadmap forward?
Co-hosts, Ashlyn Thompson & Ashley Milbourne are joined by Dr. Tasha Faruqui—award-winning pediatrician, rare disease parent, and now debut author—who invites us into the heart of her story, which inspired her forthcoming memoir: Keep Your Head Up: A Mother’s Story of Chasing Joy in the Face of Grief, releasing September 16, 2025.

Dr. Faruqui's second daughter, Soraya, was born with a rare, undiagnosed condition that remains a mystery more than thirteen years later. Though trained in medicine, Tasha found herself unprepared for the emotional and existential weight of parenting a child with a limited life expectancy. What she searched for—but couldn’t find—was guidance through anticipatory grief: the complex, quiet mourning that begins long before loss. So, she wrote the book she needed—one that shines a compassionate and unflinching light on this often-overlooked experience faced by so many families.

Keep Your Head Up is not only a memoir—it’s a love letter to parents navigating the unthinkable. With honesty, warmth, and hard-earned wisdom, Dr. Faruqui offers a blueprint for how to keep living, loving, and even laughing in the midst of prolonged uncertainty. Through this conversation, she opens up about how she balances motherhood with medicine, why self-care is not selfish, and how her definition of hope shifted from curing her daughter to cherishing her—one beautiful, present moment at a time.

✨ Keep Your Head Up is available September 16, 2025. Pre-orders are available now on Amazon.
✨ 100% of proceeds will benefit organizations close to the Faruqui family’s heart.

This isn’t just a conversation—it’s a glimpse into the soul of a book that will change the way we think about parenting, medicine, and what it means to keep showing up with love. If you’ve ever faced the unknown, this is the episode—and the story—you didn’t know you needed.

Join her Instagram community (@thefaruqui5) for real-time insights, resilience, and inspiration!

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

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As parents of children with complex medical needs, our hearts often ache with worry about our other children. Are they getting enough attention? Will they feel less important? Do they resent their sibling's conditions? These questions haunt us during late-night hospital stays and therapy appointments.

What we rarely discuss, though, is the remarkable beauty that emerges in these siblings' lives. Through heartwarming stories like seven-year-old Nora proudly telling her class about her sister's rare condition on Rare Disease Day, or Cole developing an extraordinary voice at a young age, we discover the gifts hidden within our challenging journeys.

Ashlyn & Ashley share their personal experiences raising both medically complex and typically developing children, revealing how these siblings develop profound empathy, advocacy skills, problem-solving abilities, and perspective far beyond their years. They discuss the importance of taking off what they call the "Sherlock Holmes hat" – that constant problem-solving mode parents develop – so that we parents can simply enjoy our children and create meaningful connections through small moments like car rides or special traditions.

Perhaps most striking is the resilience these children show. Despite hospital stays that separate families and the inevitable imbalance of attention, these siblings often demonstrate remarkable forgiveness, adaptability, and joy. They remind us that children have an extraordinary capacity to live in the moment and find happiness within challenging circumstances.

This conversation offers hope that while your family's path may look different than imagined, your children are developing unique strengths through challenges most families never face. Your "typical" children aren't just surviving this experience - with your love and attention to their needs, they're thriving in ways that will serve them throughout their lives.

Recommended Resources:

Supporting the Siblings with Wendy Plant, PhD - Excellent webinar for parents presented by Courageous Parents Network

Courageous Parents Network: Sibling Support

Child Life on Call: Supporting Siblings: How Child Life Specialists Can Help

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
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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