Extra Lucky Podcast

It’s an ELP takeover with Rise Pediatric Intensive Therapy! 

In this conversation, Nicole Readie and Aliza Sackin, co-owners of Rise, discuss their backgrounds in occupational and physical therapy, their journey to founding Rise, and the importance of intensive therapy for children with disabilities. They emphasize the significance of neuroplasticity, the need for parent support, and the unique challenges faced by families navig...

In this episode of the Extra Lucky Podcast, hosts Taryn and Jess sit with Heather Sachs and Stephanie Smith Lee from the National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC) to discuss both their personal journeys and the critical advocacy work they are involved in. The conversation highlights the significance of policy changes, the challenges faced by families in the Down Syndrome community, and the current political landscape affecting disabil...

In this episode of the Extra Lucky Podcast, Taryn and Jess sit down with Amanda Owen, a children's book author and nonprofit founder, to discuss her journey growing up with her brother Nick, who has a rare disability. Amanda shares her experiences as a sibling, her transition from teaching to founding Puzzle Pieces, a nonprofit that supports individuals with disabilities, and her insights on caregiving and community inclusion. ...

In this episode, Taryn and Jess kick off Season Two of the Extra Lucky Podcast the same way they did Season One, by interviewing each other! They reflect on their experiences from Season One, discuss the fun and challenges of podcasting, highlight memorable guests, and share personal insights gained from their conversations. The hosts also touch on the importance of advocacy, the impact of social media, and the lessons learned from...

In this episode of The Extra Lucky Podcast, Taryn and Jess speak with Carissa Menard from Hearts Connected, a mental health company specializing in virtual child life services. Carissa shares her personal journey with child life services, having experienced leukemia as a child. The conversation explores the various ways child life services support families through medical and non-medical challenges, the importance of addressing gri...

In this episode of the Extra Lucky Podcast, hosts Taryn and Jess welcome Brett Garrison, a special needs financial advisor. Brett shares his personal journey into the field of special needs financial planning, emphasizing the importance of creating a secure financial future for children with disabilities. The conversation covers essential topics such as the significance of financial planning, debunking myths about who needs it, the...

In this episode of the Extra Lucky Podcast, hosts Taryn and Jess interview Miracle Pelayo, an actress, model, and advocate for individuals with cerebral palsy. Miracle shares her journey from a challenging childhood filled with medical appointments to becoming a trailblazer in the entertainment industry. She discusses the importance of representation for disabled individuals in media, her campaign 'Making Cerebral Palsy Beautiful',...

We’re not sure we can say enough about this episode to truly capture its meaning. Our dear friend April Aguilera took over as guest host to sit down with the incomparable Amanda Booth. These two mamas share the common experience of raising a child with a dual diagnosis of both Down syndrome and autism. You’ll get to hear about their experience through their own vulnerable words and witness the deep connection and love they have wit...

In honor of Thanksgiving, we are bringing you a bonus episode! This quick win is a meditation centered around gratitude.

We hope that you can take this bit of time for yourself anytime you need, to ground yourself about what truly matters and all that you accomplish day after day, just by existing in this world! This is great to come back to anytime during the busy holiday season and beyond.

The Extra Lucky Podcast is produced ...

No matter which way you voted, you've probably been inundated with information about what is going to change. Taryn had the benefit of being on a call with the National Down Syndrome Advocacy Coalition (part of the National Down Syndrome Congress), and we are downloading all the information to you!

While this information was from a Down syndrome organization, it's really applicable to disability rights in general, so we hope that ...

We are beyond excited to drop our interview with the incredible Ella Green on the Extra Lucky Podcast!  Ella is a future special education teacher currently studying at Purdue University and the powerhouse host of the From Label to Able podcast.  Her journey into advocacy began early, inspired by her inclusive education and the amazing peers she met along the way.  Ella's passion for creating change in the disability community ...

Once we wrapped recording today’s episode, we knew we had to air this around Back-to-School season. An educator for 14 years, Kasey Hilton is passionate about inclusion in her classroom. She believes that in the disability community we ask people with disabilities to alter who they are and "fit in" with their peers, when perhaps, we should be teaching others how they can be inclusive and kind by learning what they can do ...

We had the chance to get to know Dr Michelle Sirak when she reached out after ELM presented to Hackensack University Medical Center Pediatric Grand Rounds. As parents, all we want while raising our kids is for our medical teams to listen to us. Dr Sirak walks the road with her families and we think her philosophy will inspire both parents to find their voice and other doctors to lean into the knowledge of parents as part of the med...

In this episode of the Extra Lucky Podcast, you’ll get to know pediatric occupational therapist Lora Jackle. Not only does Lora have an incredible perspective on patient and family care, but her personal story is one we are so grateful we get to share. As a single woman in her early 20s, Lora fostered then adopted a child with infant leukemia. In later years, she subsequently welcomed two more daughters, one of whom was born with D...

Our community is no stranger to Michelle Fruhschien. She’s joined us on the Today Show, written for Dear Mama: Stories of an Extra Lucky Life and is one of ELM’s biggest cheerleaders. We think what resonates so much with us about Michelle is her honesty, her ability to laugh through stressful times and her fierce advocacy for Jordan’s syndrome and the disability community at large. This episode has all of that, and we know you will...

Imagine getting a surprise birth diagnosis of Down syndrome and then three weeks later finding out your baby has cancer. That was Rachel Morris' reality just over a year ago. This episode hits so many feels - from grief, cancer, healing and finding the joy. Lora Jackle, ⁠Dear Mama⁠ contributor, Occupation Therapist, cancer AND Down syndrome mama, joins Taryn as co-host for this impactful episode. 

Rachel is a stay at home,...

If you're looking to talk about disability sibling relationships, mental health, disability diagnosis and motherhood, then WOW this episode is for you. Taryn interviews Kara Kushnir on Episode 19 of ELP. Kara is a parent, sibling and psychotherapist in northern NJ, specializing in perinatal mental health as well as working with children, teens and parents. She grew up with a younger sister with disabilities, and went into the f...

In honor of July being Disability Pride Month, we are so excited to bring you a conversation with longtime advocate Jawanda Mast.

Jawanda Mast is the NDSC Grassroots Advocacy Manager. She has been involved in disability policy advocacy since her daughter Rachel was born with Down syndrome almost 25 years ago. Jawanda has graduate and undergraduate degrees from the University of Arkansas and was honored with the 2017 Alumni Communi...