The Mama Sisterhood

This is an adoption story....but not just any adoption story. Today's mama, Kelly, was born with spina bifida and she met her husband, who also has spina bifida, when they were ten years old! After coming in and out of each others lives multiple times as they grew up, they eventually married and decided to adopt. They felt especially pulled to an agency who specialized in placing children with disabilities, and this is where they h...

Jess Ronne was brave enough to ask the question: what happens when the cute little boy with profound disabilities ... grows up? I found Jess on her podcast, Coffee with Caregivers, when she and her husband were exploring this question in regards to their teenage son, Lucas, who has profound autism. As if that wasn't enough, they were also raising seven other kids. Through a lot of hard work and prayer, they were able to create ...

When Christin was 32 weeks pregnant, she was planning to head to the airport with her toddler, 2 dogs, and 20 bags that were packed - she had been living in Japan for three years for her husband's military service and she was preparing to return to the US to get settled in before her second baby arrived. Suddenly, her plans changed and next thing she knew, she was being transferred to a different city in Japan where doctors and nur...

I had been looking for a mama to a child with Tourette Sydrome for a while, and I was so excited to find Katie Reall who is a mom to four kids, TWO of whom have TS. She shares about her journey with her oldest son, Sam, who is now a young adult, and then her second journey with her daughter, Annie, who has some similarities to Sam in her Tourette journey, but who also presents very differently. Katie and her family first educated t...

It was such a pleasure chatting with Abbey Benjamin today. Abby is mama to two children and her daughter, Avery, has a rare genetic disease that led to their family life being different than anticipated. Notice I said different, though, and not one bit less because Abbey makes sure that Avery has the opportunity to go out and live an amazing life filled with trips, adventures, and very importantly, dance class. Abbey shares about h...

Welcome to Season 4! I'm so excited to bring you today's episode which is one I've wanted to do for a long time. Kelley is with us today to talk about balancing being a firefighter while also being a mom. She shares about how she got into this career, how things changed when she became pregnant, what it was like returning to such a physically demanding job post-partum, and how she juggles parenthood with the demands of ...

Welcome to the Season 3 Finale - I'll be back in a month with Season 4!

Today's interview is such an important topic. I have Kalyn with me who openly shares her experience about what happened when her daughter swallowed a button battery and how this has led her to educate others so more children are safe. This episode includes:

- An open discussion about post-partum mental health issues and about the massive challenges mo...

I had the honor today of chatting with Kali whose daughter, Sutton, has a feeding tube. This has not in any way stopped her from competing with her high-level cheer team. In fact, she's used her small size to her advantage becoming a flyer, often seen at the top of stunts. In this episode, Kali shares:

- Why Sutton's doctors decided a feeding tube would help her

- What it's like preparing a child for a feeding tube, inclu...

When you think of February, you may think of the hearts associated with Valentine's Day ... but even more importantly is that February is American Heart Month! So the timing is perfect to bring you today's interview with amazing heart mama, Kennidi! Kennidi's 7-year-old daughter, Oakley, was born with several heart defects and after having a few surgeries when she was younger, Oakley's family was told that her best option was a hea...

This is a big thing to say, but it's true: this interview changed my life. I had the complete honor of interviewing Salym Liufau who is a mom of 4. Salym shares about her journey with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). While this diagnosis may have slowed down what she can do physically, it has also led her to really understand what is important in life - no longer worrying about things like having a Pinterest-worthy house, b...

Anita Coyle was living the chaotic motherhood life many of us understand, juggling four children and work as a physical therapist, when one day, her very healthy husband went for a swim, went into the locker room, and died. Anita, whose children ranged between 2 and 12 years old at the time, was left as the solo parent, thrust into navigating this new life while also moving through her own grief journey. She shares the raw and real...

Five years ago, Catherine suffered an amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) during the delivery of her second daughter leading to ECMO, DIC, a stroke, and an ICU stay followed by a long recovery process that continues today. She beat terriflyingly low odds of survival and has used her journey to help others by creating her own podcast focusing on perinatal trauma where mothers can share their stories and trauma around childbirth can be ope...

Jennifer could never have expected how her life would change when her daugther, Allison, sprained her ankle. Doctors and physical therapists became alarmed when after 8 weeks, Allison had not improved and in fact, her foot was contracted and would no longer move. From here, Jennifer and Allison began a journey that eventually led to genetic testing and a diagnosis of dystonia, follwed by brain surgery that had a complication, leavi...

Karyn checked her 8-year-old daughter, Jordyn, in for a quick, 30-minute surgery: having her tonsils and adenoids removed. Little did they know there would be a complication, leading to Jordyn ending up on ECMO, a machine doing the work of her heart and lungs, in the ICU. What was supposed to be a simple procedure left Jordyn fighting for her life and Karyn fighting for Jordyn. This story is terrifying, engaging, inspirational ... ...

Today's story is one of strength and perseverence during one of the hardest situations I can imagine. Britt McCabe is here to share her pregnancy and postpartum journey. She became sick around 35 weeks pregnant, which progressed to becoming fully paralyzed due to Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Her son, Ollie, was delivered by c-section, and she was immediately taken to the ICU where she stayed for several weeks, unable to move on her own...

I had the amazing opportunity to chat with Josie about her motherhood experience. Her daughter, Journey, is 8 years old and has a rare disease called Prader-Willi syndrome. Among other symptoms, this syndrome affects Journey in that she never feels full which has led her mom and family to have to make very specific rules around mealtimes and food. Josie shares about:

- Getting her daughter's diagnosis

- Modifications she has had to...

Today's story is unbelievable, and I can't wait to share it with you all today. Angela Diven joins us for the first episode of this 2-part series about her journey raising her son, Layton, who has Osteogenesis Imperfecta Type 3. OI is a collagen disorder that affects his entire body, leading to bones that easily fracture. In Part 1, we chat about pregnancy, Layton's birth and his diagnosis afterward, and what it was like having a b...

I am so impressed by Paige Calendine and her mom, Heidi, who so kindly offered to share her story today. Heidi had a big surprise at the very end of her pregnancy when she was told her daughter would be born without lower extremities. She knew, though, that her daughter would live an incredible life...and that has become an understatement. Paige is an avid gymnast who is also active in cheer and archery, competing against able-bodi...