This week's guests, perinatal mental health therapists Emily Souder and Mahaley Patel, share the story behind their book Your NICU Story: Reflecting on Your Family's Experience—a guided journal created to help families process the emotional impact of a NICU stay. Mahaley also opens up about her daughter, Sachi, who died after a NICU stay, and how storytelling and narrative healing became a lifeline in her grief.

She and Emily talk with Katie about why so many NICU parents carry trauma long after discharge and how writing your story can help families reconnect with what they experienced. They also discuss the emotional weight of making medical decisions during a NICU stay, the importance of compassionate healthcare providers, and why healing sometimes begins months or even years later.

If you've ever struggled to process a NICU experience—or wondered how to revisit it in a way that feels safe and meaningful—this conversation offers powerful insight and hope. Emily and Mahaley's biggest message? Your story deserves space, compassion, and time—and reflecting on it can be an important step toward healing.

We extend our sincere gratitude to our sponsor for this episode, Gebauer PainEase®. We are pleased to provide more information about this product, and we invite you to learn more by visiting their website.

Resources & Ways to Connect:

Book: Your NICU Story: Reflecting on Your Family's Experience
Available wherever books are sold, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and local bookstores.

Emily Souder, LMFT, PMH-C

Website

Instagram

Mahaley Patel, LMFT, PMH-C

Instagram

Connect & Support from Child Life On Call:

• Subscribe: Never miss an episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
  
  

• Visit insidethechildrenshospital.com to search stories and episodes easily
  
  

• Follow us on Instagram for updates and opportunities to connect with other parents
  
  

• Download SupportSpot: receive Child Life tools at your fingertips.
  
  

• Leave a Review: It helps other families find us and access our resources!

Medical information provided is not a substitute for professional advice—please consult your care team.

Keywords: NICU trauma, healing after NICU, NICU parent mental health, NICU journaling prompts, birth trauma support, NICU loss support, perinatal mental health therapist, processing NICU experience, life after NICU discharge, NICU storytelling, guided journal for NICU parents, neonatal intensive care support, grief after NICU, NICU parent resources

What happens when your child shares something that shifts the future you thought you understood?

In this episode of Inside the Children's Hospital, Katie sits down with Kelly Kemp — certified child life specialist of more than 30 years and mom of three — to talk about navigating trust, grief, advocacy, and love after her child was diagnosed with gender dysphoria and came out as transgender.

Kelly shares:

• The phone call that changed everything

• Navigating substance use and mental health concerns

• Grieving privately while choosing love publicly

• Rebuilding trust with her child

• Supporting siblings during a major transition

• Setting boundaries with extended family

• Finding affirming medical and mental health care

• Holding faith and parenting together during uncertainty

This conversation is not about politics. It is about parenting inside a medical diagnosis. It is about trust. It is about grief that doesn't mean rejection. And it is about the steady, protective love that children need — especially when the world feels loud.

Whether your child is navigating a medical diagnosis, identity development, or a season you didn't anticipate, this episode will remind you:

Grief and love can coexist.

Trust is foundational.

And your child still needs you.

Resources & Crisis Support:

• The Trevor Project: Providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people.

• • Call: 1-866-488-7386

  • Text: START to 678-678

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: For mental health crises in the US.

• Free Mom Hugs

• WPath (World Professional Association for Transgender Health)

• The Trans Family Alliance

• Please note: Some organizations have private social media groups. For more information on those, you are welcome to private message Kelly Kemp.

Connect & Support from Child Life On Call:

• Subscribe: Never miss an episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

• Visit insidethechildrenshospital.com to search stories and episodes easily

• Follow us on Instagram for updates and opportunities to connect with other parents

• Download SupportSpot: receive Child Life tools at your fingertips.

• Leave a Review: It helps other families find us and access our resources!

Medical information provided is not a substitute for professional advice—please consult your care team.

This week's guest, Abby Horton, opens up about her journey as a Child Life Specialist working across ICU, burn, surgical, rehab, and inpatient settings—and how those experiences shaped the way she supports families navigating physical differences. From sudden trauma and accidents to limb differences, burn injuries, surgical scars, and hair loss from chemotherapy, Abby shares how parents can gently empower their children to own their story with confidence.

She and Katie discuss simple, age-appropriate scripts that help children respond to questions about their bodies. Abby explains why modeling these conversations early matters, how to give kids space to answer for themselves, and why curiosity from peers is often just that—curiosity, not cruelty.

If you've ever wondered how to help your child respond to stares, questions, or comments about a physical difference, this conversation offers practical tools and deep reassurance. Abby's biggest message? You're probably doing better than you think—and it's not about having perfect words, but about helping your child feel loved and supported.

Today's Episode is sponsored by Moog Medical. Moog Medical is a trusted leader in infusion and enteral feeding technology, designing reliable, easy-to-use pumps that support safe, precise care for patients with complex medical needs—at home and in healthcare settings.

Resources & Ways to Connect:

Website: Little Lighthouses Child Life Services
Instagram: @littlelighthouseschildlife

Abby offers virtual support for families navigating physical differences, medical transitions, and post-hospital adjustment.

Connect & Support from Child Life On Call:

• Subscribe: Never miss an episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
  
  

• Visit insidethechildrenshospital.com to search stories and episodes easily
  
  

• Follow us on Instagram for updates and opportunities to connect with other parents
  
  

• Download SupportSpot: receive Child Life tools at your fingertips.
  
  

• Leave a Review: It helps other families find us and access our resources!

Medical information provided is not a substitute for professional advice—please consult your care team.

Keywords: physical differences in children, limb difference support, burn survivor child, surgical scars in kids, hair loss from chemotherapy, child life specialist, five cent story, five dollar story, resilience in children, bullying vs curiosity, parenting medically complex child, body confidence in kids, hospital to home transition, psychosocial support for families, sibling advocacy, Little Lighthouses Child Life

This week's guest opens up about the shock of an emergency C-section at 25 weeks and 3 days, the fear of entering the NICU for the first time, and the powerful role Child Life Specialists played in supporting not only Vincent, but their entire family, including his older brother. She reflects on what helped her cope during long NICU days, how she advocated for herself using her healthcare background, and what she wishes she had known about the "medically complex" label sooner.

This episode explores sibling bonding in the NICU, the impact of a truly integrated care team, the importance of addressing social determinants of health, and how resilience can grow in the smallest of patients. Anna's story is a beautiful reminder that families may not remember every name—but they will always remember how they were made to feel.

Today's Episode is sponsored by Moog Medical. Moog Medical is a trusted leader in infusion and enteral feeding technology, designing reliable, easy-to-use pumps that support safe, precise care for patients with complex medical needs—at home and in healthcare settings.

Resources Mentioned Today's Episode:

• Hand to Hold
• March of Dimes
• Ronald McDonald House
• Caringbridge

Connect with Anna:
Anna is open to connecting with other NICU families—please email us at podcast@childlifeoncall.com if you would like to connect with her!

Connect & Support from Child Life On Call:

• Subscribe: Never miss an episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
  
  

• Visit insidethechildrenshospital.com to search stories and episodes easily
  
  

• Follow us on Instagram for updates and opportunities to connect with other parents
  
  

• Download SupportSpot: receive Child Life tools at your fingertips.
  
  

• Leave a Review: It helps other families find us and access our resources!

Medical information provided is not a substitute for professional advice—please consult your care team.

Keywords: micro preemie, NICU journey, 25 week preemie, medically complex child, chronic lung disease in children, antepartum hospitalization, emergency C-section, sibling support in NICU, child life specialist, Ronald McDonald House, Hand to Hold, March of Dimes, NICU discharge, parenting after the NICU, medical motherhood, resilience in children, premature birth support, Midwest NICU mom

When tube feeding enters your life—whether at birth, in childhood, or adulthood—it can feel overwhelming, isolating, and misunderstood. In this special live episode of Inside the Children's Hospital, we center the voices of those with lived experience to explore what tube feeding really looks like beyond the diagnosis and discharge instructions.

Host Katie Taylor is joined by parent advocates, a young adult patient, and a pediatric dietitian to share honest, unfiltered perspectives on NG tubes, G-tubes, GJ tubes, and blended feeds. Together, they discuss early fears and misconceptions, navigating medical systems and insurance, advocating for better options, and how tube feeding can ultimately bring relief, stability, and freedom. This conversation highlights the power of community, the importance of being believed, and what compassionate, family-centered support truly looks like—for patients, parents, and professionals alike.

Today's Episode is sponsored by Moog Medical. Moog Medical is a trusted leader in infusion and enteral feeding technology, designing reliable, easy-to-use pumps that support safe, precise care for patients with complex medical needs—at home and in healthcare settings.

Resources from today's episode:

• Oley Foundation

  • Infusing Hope Conference

  • Join Oley for Community, Education, and so much more!

• Blended Tube Feeding
  • Instagram

• Luma Clean Cares

• A SXSW Short Film on the reality of tube-feeding, called 'Unholy'

Connect with Guests from Today's Episode:

• Kelsey Ward – Parent advocate and medical parent, Follow Kelsey on TikTok
• Brady Crandall – Parent advocate and founder of YouthCrews
• Alexa Quintero – Patient advocate and young adult with lived tube feeding experience
• Hilarie Geurink, RD – Pediatric dietitian specializing in flexible, real-food tube feeding, Founder of Blended Tube Feeding

Connect & Support from Child Life On Call:

• Subscribe: Never miss an episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
  
  

• Visit insidethechildrenshospital.com to search stories and episodes easily
  
  

• Follow us on Instagram for updates and opportunities to connect with other parents
  
  

• Download SupportSpot: receive Child Life tools at your fingertips.
  
  

• Leave a Review: It helps other families find us and access our resources!

Keywords:
Tube feeding awareness, G-tube parenting, NG tube experience, GJ tube support, Medical parent advocacy, Pediatric nutrition support, Blended tube feeding, Real food tube feeding, Feeding tube myths, Medical trauma and advocacy, Young adult chronic illness, Child life support, Family-centered care, Hospital parent support, Living with feeding tubes

Medical information provided is not a substitute for professional advice—please consult your care team.

When your child's life is shaped by medical complexity, childhood can quickly become defined by hospital stays, procedures, and limitations. In today's episode, we explore how medically supported camps transform that narrative—creating space for joy, belonging, and healing for children, families, and even healthcare providers themselves.

Katie Taylor is joined by Dr. Laura Blaisdell, Chief Medical Officer of SeriousFun Children's Network, and Jamie Gentille, Child Life Specialist Leader and former camper, to share the life-changing impact of camp for children with serious illnesses. From zip-lining with oxygen tubing to late-night cabin chats that build confidence and identity, this conversation highlights how thoughtfully designed camp experiences allow kids to be kids—without compromising medical safety.

This episode explores the power of positive childhood experiences, how camps seamlessly integrate complex medical care behind the scenes, the role of child life specialists and medical volunteers in creating safe spaces for play, and why camp is just as healing for providers as it is for children. You'll also hear Jamie's personal journey from camper to child life specialist and why camp will always feel like home.

Explore Child Life On Call's directory of medical and disability-friendly summer camps for kids! This resource helps families find inclusive summer camp options that support children with medical needs and disabilities, making it easier to plan fun, safe, and engaging summer experiences.

Today's Episode is sponsored by Moog Medical. Moog Medical is a trusted leader in infusion and enteral feeding technology, designing reliable, easy-to-use pumps that support safe, precise care for patients with complex medical needs—at home and in healthcare settings.

Resources from today's episode:

Medical & Camp Support:

• SeriousFun Children's Network
  
  

• Hole in the Wall Gang Camp
  
  

• Painted Turtle Camp
  
  

• Medical volunteer opportunities through SeriousFun
  

Connect & Support from Child Life On Call

• Subscribe: Never miss an episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
  
  

• Visit insidethechildrenshospital.com to search stories and episodes easily
  
  

• Follow us on Instagram for updates and opportunities to connect with other parents
  
  

• Download SupportSpot: receive Child Life tools at your fingertips.
  
  

• Leave a Review: It helps other families find us and access our resources!

Keywords:
Medically complex children, Pediatric medical camps, SeriousFun Children's Network, Child life specialist, Positive childhood experiences, Pediatric chronic illness support, Medical trauma healing, Camp for children with illness, Family-centered care, Pediatric resilience, Provider burnout prevention, Therapeutic play, Sibling support, Pediatric healthcare community

Medical information provided is not a substitute for professional advice—please consult your care team

When your child survives one medical emergency only to face another, parenting becomes a constant act of advocacy and courage. Today's guest joins us to share her daughter's journey with rare and complex medical conditions, from early respiratory failure and unexplained hospitalizations to epilepsy, lung disease, and life with medical uncertainty. As a military spouse navigating deployments, Brittany shares what it means to walk this path largely alone, trust her instincts as a mother, and fight to be believed by medical professionals.

This episode explores navigating rare disease without clear answers, the life-changing impact of compassionate child life support, supporting siblings through medical trauma, and how rituals, play, and community help families find hope and meaning in the midst of chaos.

Download our free Children's Hospital Passport to help empower your child and family during hospital stays.

Sponsored in part by HealthWell Foundation—learn how you can help families afford life-saving medications at healthwellfoundation.org.

Resources from today's episode:

Medical Support:

• Stanford Children's Health
• Undiagnosed Diseases Network

Nonprofit & Community Support:

• Live Like JoJo Foundation
• The Meg Foundation (Pediatric Pain & Poke Plans)
• Brave Bears Club (Epilepsy Support)
• Child Life Mommy
• CHYP

Connect with Brittany

Follow Brittany's journey as she shares life as a medical mom, military spouse, and advocate.

• Subscribe: Never miss an episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
  
  

• Visit insidethechildrenshospital.com to easily search stories and episodes
  
  

• Follow us on Instagram for updates and opportunities to connect with other parents
  
  

• Download SupportSpot: receive Child Life tools at your fingertips.
  
  

• Leave a Review: It helps other families find us and access our resources!

Keywords:
Rare disease parenting, Medical motherhood, Medically complex child, Pediatric lung disease, Pediatric epilepsy, Intractable epilepsy, PICU parent experience, Military family healthcare, Parent advocacy in healthcare, Child life specialist support, Sibling support during hospitalization, Parenting after medical trauma, Coping with chronic illness, Undiagnosed disease journey, Hospital parent support

Medical information provided is not a substitute for professional advice—please consult your care team

When your newborn is healthy one moment and rushed to the PICU the next, life can change in an instant. Today's guest joins us to share her son's journey with severe hemophilia—from unexpected bleeding after a routine circumcision to a spontaneous brain bleed, emergency surgery, and a months-long PICU stay. This episode explores being thrust into medical motherhood, learning to advocate under unimaginable stress, and how community, child life, and modern medicine help families navigate life with a complex diagnosis.

Download our free Children's Hospital Passport to help empower your child and family during hospital stays.

Sponsored in part by HealthWell Foundation—learn how you can help families afford life-saving medications at healthwellfoundation.org.

• Medical Support:
  Mayo Clinic Children's Center & Hemophilia Treatment Center, Rochester, MN

• Nonprofit & Community Support:
  Hemophilia Foundation of Minnesota & the Dakotas
  
  

Connect with Sami

• Follow Sami and Cooper's journey on Instagram

• Subscribe: Never miss an episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
  
  

• Visit insidethechildrenshospital.com to easily search stories and episodes
  
  

• Follow us on Instagram for updates and opportunities to connect with other parents
  
  

• Download SupportSpot: receive Child Life tools at your fingertips.
  
  

• Leave a Review: It helps other families find us and access our resources!
  
  

Keywords: Severe hemophilia, Hemophilia in infants, Newborn hemophilia diagnosis, Infant brain bleed, Pediatric hemophilia, Medical motherhood, PICU parent experience, Emergency brain surgery infant, Rare disease parenting, Bleeding disorders in babies, Hemophilia treatment center, Parent advocate in healthcare, Life after a NICU or PICU stay, Medically complex child, Child life specialist support, Coping with a chronic diagnosis, Parenting after medical trauma, Hemophilia A awareness, Infant seizures medical emergency, Hospital parent support

Medical information provided is not a substitute for professional advice—please consult your care team.