Caring for a newly diagnosed child going through a medical journey can be scary and overwhelming. Especially when finding resources meant to support you, like Child Life Specialists, requires extensive research and planning.

This is why I am so grateful to our guest today, Jenna Kmitch, for courageously sharing what her process looks like beside her daughter Sydney, who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma just a few weeks after birth.

Jenna is the founder of Love Smiles, an organization dedicated to bringing moments of peace and joy to families with pediatric cancer through stories.

Today, she shares her experience and advice on navigating surgeries, treatments, PICU stays, and returning home and how to enjoy parenthood through it all. Jenna found joy in her journey by leaning on her baby's resilience and the community and medical staff that showed up for her, and she hopes to inspire others to do the same.

Key Takeaways with Jenna Kmitch

• The challenges of becoming a mom during a pandemic
• Navigating a baby's cancer diagnosis
• Processing the risks & results of infant surgery
• The role of child life specialists in the PICU
• How to lean on nurses and doctors for additional support
• The stages of grieving a diagnosis
• Finding yourself as a mom during caretaking

Show Notes:

Get Full Access to the Show Notes by visiting: MatteasJoy.org/82.

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When you first enter the medical world as a caregiver, everyone around you hits the ground running. The nurses and doctors know exactly how to get started, and yet, you might be left feeling overwhelmed and powerless.

This is what makes social workers so important: they support the family holistically, encourage communication, help bridge information gaps, and empower you to become an important member of your child's medical team.

My guests today, Henry Rosh and Megan Keeler, are both social workers at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. Henry works with families who have extended admissions in the heart center, and Megan extensively prepares families for admissions and hospitalizations in the epilepsy center.

They are the superheroes in a medical team, meeting families where they are and making their experience in the hospital remarkably better. In our conversation, they're sharing their best advice on communicating with your medical team, building relationships with nurses, and participating in your child's care so that you can feel more comfortable and better informed on the next steps in your journey.

Key Takeaways with Henry Rosh & Megan Keeler

• The impact of social workers on medical journeys
• How they make hospitals less intimidating for families
• What is Psychosocial Support?
• Encouraging communication with medical providers
• The role of families in the medical team
• What to expect from bedside nurses, providers, & physicians
• Getting involved in your child's care both in-person & remotely
• Having confidence to challenge & question medical plans
• Building a two-way relationship with nurses

Show Notes:

Get Full Access to the Show Notes by visiting: MatteasJoy.org/81.

Rate & Review

If you enjoyed today's episode of The Joy In The Journey, hit the subscribe button on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen, so future episodes are automatically downloaded directly to your device.

You can also help by providing an honest rating & review over on Apple Podcasts. Reviews go a long way in helping us build awareness so that we can impact even more people. THANK YOU!

After losing someone close to us we are usually told about the five stages of grief and how each of them will show up. But grief often shows up differently for everyone, skipping and cycling through stages in unique ways.

My guest today is Sara Ward, and she knows a thing or two about grieving. After unexpectedly losing her father to a heart problem as a teenager, her 9-month-old adopted son was diagnosed with a rare and terminal disease and given a very short time to live.

Instead of choosing to focus only on the hardships of grief, Sara committed to looking for unexpected gifts in her journey. Since then, she's written a book titled, Made for Hope: Discovering Unexpected Gifts in Brokenness, which is aimed at helping others navigate their grief journey. She's sharing her story on how community, faith, hope, and gratitude got her through some of the hardest challenges of life.

This episode is perfect for anyone who's in the thick of their grief journey or knows someone who is to feel less alone in this very difficult season of life.

Key Takeaways with Sara Ward

• Processing grief as a child or teenager
• Dealing with a sudden and unexpected loss
• How the stages of grief are unique for everyone
• The anticipatory grief that comes with terminal illnesses
• Seeking help through grief groups
• The importance of rest for caregivers
• Leaning on faith & community
• When parents have different coping mechanisms
• Feeling guilt after the loss of a child
• Focusing on the blessings in the midst of pain

Show Notes:

Get Full Access to the Show Notes by visiting: MatteasJoy.org/80.

If you enjoyed today's episode of The Joy In The Journey, hit the subscribe button on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen, so future episodes are automatically downloaded directly to your device.

You can also help by providing an honest rating & review over on Apple Podcasts. Reviews go a long way in helping us build awareness so that we can impact even more people. THANK YOU!