In this episode of The Health Advocates, we’re joined by Gaile Valcho, founder and president of the Brady Valcho Autism Foundation. Gaile shares her powerful story as the mother of a child with autism and her journey to address a gap in community resources in Holly Springs, North Carolina. She opens up about the challenges and triumphs of caregiving while living with lupus, the importance of community support, and her foundation’s work to build inclusive, joyful spaces for neurodiverse families.

Tune in for a conversation about resilience, empathy, and the everyday ways we can show up for one another.

Among the highlights in this episode:

01:30: Gaile shares how a lack of local autism resources motivated her to create the Holly Springs Autism Acceptance Day event

05:07: Zoe and Gaile discuss the emotional impact and validation of community showing up to support the event

06:01: Gaile explains how other families found crucial resources and joy through the event

08:00: Zoe highlights the importance of community support when navigating chronic conditions

10:23: Gaile describes how her lupus diagnosis intersected with caregiving for her son and changed her daily life

14:35: Gaile shares how treatments have helped manage her lupus and how her son Brady supports her

15:37: Gaile discusses the Spoon Theory and how it helps her communicate about energy and limits

19:53: For more information about the Brady Valcho Autism Foundation visit: https://bva.foundation/

20:27: Tune in to our Clinical Trials Talks podcast, visit https://creakyjoints.org/clinical-trials

Whether you’re ready to see if you qualify for a lupus clinical study, have questions about safety, benefits, and preparation, or simply want to hear real stories from other lupus patients, caregivers, and trusted providers who’ve been through it, visit https://creakyjoints.org/lupus-help-center/

21:41: Zoe reflects on her time with the podcast and thanks Steven and listeners

Contact Our Host

Steven Newmark, Chief of Policy at GHLF: snewmark@ghlf.org

A podcast episode produced by Ben Blanc, Director, Digital Production and Engagement at GHLF.

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