Born For This Stories

What does medical parenting feel like from a father's perspective? In this solo episode of Born For This Stories, Johanna turns the microphone toward Peter to explore a side of medical parenting that is rarely talked about — the dad experience. While many conversations focus on the emotional, research-driven, and intuitive journey of mothers, this episode highlights how fathers process diagnoses, surgeries, and uncertainty in a completely different way. Together, they walk through their son Silas's diagnosis, the decision-making process behind multiple surgeries, and the emotional weight that fathers carry — often quietly. This episode dives into the contrast between emotional and logical processing, the pressure to stay steady, and the internal experience dads navigate while supporting both their child and their partner. If you are a parent navigating surgery decisions, a diagnosis, or the unknowns that come with medical parenting, this episode offers a powerful perspective on partnership, communication, and what it really looks like to walk this journey together. In this episode – The dad perspective in medical parenting and why it's often overlooked – Processing a diagnosis from a logical versus emotional standpoint – Navigating uncertainty, fear, and decision-making during surgery planning – The pressure fathers feel to stay calm and grounded – How different processing styles can impact relationships during medical journeys – The importance of communication between partners – Letting go of control and taking things one step at a time – Researching medical decisions and advocating as a parent – The role of fathers in supporting both child and partner – How medical journeys can strengthen or challenge relationships Share Your Story & Find Born For This Stories If you are navigating a diagnosis, surgery decision, or the unknowns of medical parenting, we want you to know you are not alone. Born For This Stories exists to connect families walking through medical journeys — creating space for both mothers and fathers to feel seen, supported, and understood. Share your story at bornforthistories.com Follow along on Instagram @bornforthistories Subscribe and leave a review to help more families find this community New episodes release every Monday. Whether you are the parent researching, the parent holding it together, or the partner trying to support both — you are part of this story.

What do medical parents actually need from the people around them? When a child receives a diagnosis, faces surgery, or navigates ongoing medical care, friends and family often want to help — but many simply don't know how. Well-meaning reassurance can sometimes leave parents feeling more isolated instead of supported. In this episode of Born For This Stories, hosts Johanna and Peter step away from guest interviews to share a powerful framework for supporting families walking through medical journeys. Drawing from their own experience navigating their son's surgeries and the countless stories shared by families on this podcast, they introduce the STAY Model — a simple but transformative way to show up for medical parents. This conversation explores the emotional reality behind diagnoses, surgical decisions, and caregiver fatigue. It also offers practical guidance for friends, family members, and loved ones who want to provide meaningful support instead of unintentionally minimizing what medical families are going through. Whether you are a parent navigating a child's diagnosis or someone who wants to better support a family walking through medical uncertainty, this episode offers a compassionate roadmap for showing up when it matters most. In this episode – Why common reassurances like "he'll be fine" can unintentionally isolate medical parents – The emotional reality of parenting through surgeries, diagnoses, and medical uncertainty – Understanding caregiver fatigue and the invisible load carried by medical families – Why many friends and family members pull away during difficult medical journeys – The STAY Model and how it helps people better support medical parents – Practical ways loved ones can show up during surgeries, treatments, and recovery – How specific support reduces decision fatigue for overwhelmed caregivers Share Your Story & Find Born For This Stories If your family is navigating a diagnosis, surgery, rare condition, or medical journey, we want you to know you are not alone. Born For This Stories exists to connect families walking through medical challenges and to create a space where parents feel seen, supported, and understood. Share your story at bornforthistories.com Follow along on Instagram @bornforthiststories Subscribe and leave a review to help more medical families discover this community New episodes release every Monday. Wherever you are in the journey — diagnosis day, the waiting room, recovery, or the long road in between — you do not have to carry it alone.

A rare genetic diagnosis during pregnancy. A cleft lip and palate. Limb differences. Missing teeth. Chronic infections. Sixteen surgeries — and counting. In this episode of Born For This Stories, we sit down with Lindsay, a mom raising her 10-year-old son Ronan who was diagnosed in utero with EEC syndrome (Ectrodactyly Ectodermal Dysplasia Cleft), a rare genetic disorder that affects development of the hands, feet, teeth, skin, sweat glands, eyes, and more. This conversation is about more than medical complexity. It's about receiving a life-altering diagnosis during a routine ultrasound. It's about guilt, resilience, research, advocacy, and building a community when you didn't know one existed. It's about traveling for specialized pediatric care, preparing for surgery after surgery, and still raising a child who plays sports, creates art, and dreams big. If you are parenting through a rare disease diagnosis, congenital differences, cleft repair, chronic medical needs, or a long surgical journey, this episode will remind you that you are not alone — and that community changes everything. In this episode – What EEC syndrome is and how it presents differently in every child – Receiving a prenatal rare genetic diagnosis and processing guilt – Navigating cleft lip and palate repair, limb differences, and dental reconstruction – Managing chronic medical complications and multiple surgeries – Traveling for specialized pediatric care – Finding support through the National Foundation for Ectodermal Dysplasias (NFED) – Accessing nonprofit and community resources for medical families – Raising siblings within a high-medical-needs household – The power of educating your community to build support Share Your Story & Find Born For This Stories If you are walking a rare diagnosis journey — whether prenatal, newly diagnosed, or years into treatment — we would be honored to hold space for your story. Share your story at bornforthistories.com Follow along on Instagram @bornforthiststories Subscribe and leave a review to help more families navigating rare diseases and congenital conditions find this community New episodes release every Monday. Wherever you are in the journey — diagnosis day, surgery prep, recovery, or long-term maintenance — you do not have to carry it alone.

What happens after the diagnosis? After the shock fades? After the appointments end and the real work of parenting begins? In Part Two of Kari and Ali's story, we move from isolation to action. This episode dives into what it looks like when parents realize the systems meant to support them are incomplete — and choose to build something better. From navigating COVID isolation to organizing 150-plus family meetups, launching a global podcast, and founding a 501c3 nonprofit, Kari and Ali are redefining what advocacy and community look like for families raising children with limb differences. If you are parenting a child with a congenital limb difference, navigating early intervention, searching for adaptive resources, or simply longing for connection after a diagnosis, this conversation is for you. This is Part 2 of Kari & Ali's story. In this episode – The isolation families experience after a limb difference diagnosis – How COVID intensified the emotional and logistical challenges of finding community – Why early intervention access and reevaluation advocacy matter – The power of in-person meetups for children with limb differences – Organizing large-scale community events during Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month – Launching the podcast Parenting Children with Limb Differences – Interviewing parents, clinicians, adaptive sports leaders, and children's authors – Creating a centralized resource hub for congenital limb differences – Founding the Limb Difference Collective Foundation (501c3) – Making community events financially accessible for families – Adaptive sports, national competitions, and travel realities in the disability space – The "Hugs in a Box" initiative for newly diagnosed families – Why representation, translation, and accessibility matter in advocacy Share your story & find Born For This Stories If today's episode resonated with you, we invite you to share your story and connect with our growing community of families navigating diagnoses, differences, and healing. 🌿 Share your story: bornforthiststories.com 💛 Follow along on Instagram: @bornforthiststories 🎧 Subscribe, rate, and share Born For This Stories to help more parents feel less alone You were born for this — and you don't have to carry it by yourself.

There is a moment in many parents' lives when everything shifts — often quietly, in a doctor's office or an ultrasound room. In this episode of Born For This Stories, Johanna and Peter sit down with Regina, a mother navigating the complex realities of raising a medically fragile child with DeGeorge Syndrome and a congenital heart condition. From a prenatal diagnosis to open-heart surgery just days after birth, Regina shares what it means to live inside long hospital stays, constant monitoring, and the emotional weight of advocating for a child who cannot yet speak for herself. This conversation explores the unseen layers of medical parenting, including immune compromise, feeding challenges, developmental delays, and the responsibility of coordinating care across dozens of specialists. Regina's story is a powerful reminder that parental intuition matters, advocacy can be exhausting, and strength is often built quietly in waiting rooms and hospital hallways. In this episode Receiving a prenatal diagnosis of DeGeorge syndrome and congenital heart disease Preparing for delivery and immediate transfer to a children's hospital Navigating open-heart surgery in the first days of life Coordinating care across more than 20 medical specialists Managing immune deficiency, infusions, oxygen support, and feeding tubes Learning advanced medical care skills as a parent Advocating for a child during medical emergencies and hospitalizations The emotional toll of being dismissed while pushing for higher-level care Supporting siblings while managing complex medical needs Finding grounding through therapy, creativity, and community Looking ahead while accepting long-term medical care as part of life Share your story & find Born For This Stories If today's episode resonated with you, we invite you to share your story and connect with our growing community of families navigating diagnoses, differences, and healing. 🌿 Share your story: bornforthiststories.com 💛 Follow along on Instagram: @bornforthiststories 🎧 Subscribe, rate, and share Born For This Stories to help more parents feel less alone You were born for this — and you don't have to carry it by yourself.

Some diagnoses arrive quietly, but they change everything. In this episode of Born For This Stories, Johanna and Peter sit down with Mariangel, a Venezuelan-Canadian mother of two whose daughter was born with clubfoot. What began as shock and uncertainty after birth became a journey shaped by resilience, family support, and a deep commitment to making sure her daughter and other children like her were never left out. Mariangel shares what it was like discovering her daughter's clubfoot after a C-section, navigating early treatment, learning to advocate within the medical system, and opening herself up to the community when she needed it most. Her story highlights how vulnerability creates connection — and how lived experience can inspire meaningful change. This conversation also explores how Mariangel transformed daily challenges, like diaper changes and adaptive footwear, into a purpose-driven brand designed to support clubfoot families around the world. In this episode Discovering a clubfoot diagnosis at birth and processing early emotions The experience of navigating treatment, casting, bracing, and long-term correction How family history and community conversations shaped confidence and perspective The importance of asking questions and feeling truly supported by providers Why opening up created a village of unexpected support The day-to-day realities of caring for a baby in braces How frustration turned into creativity and purpose Creating adaptive clothing to meet a need that didn't exist Ensuring children with clubfoot feel included, comfortable, and celebrated Advice for parents learning to balance advocacy with presence and joy Learn more about Little Clubbers Apparel Little Clubbers Apparel was created to support children with clubfoot and other orthopedic needs through thoughtful, inclusive design that makes everyday moments easier for families. 🌿 Website: www.littleclubbersapparel.com 📸 Instagram: @Littleclubbers_apparel 📘 Facebook: @LittleClubbers Apparel 🎵 TikTok: @Littleclubbers_apparel Share your story & find Born For This Stories If today's episode resonated with you, we invite you to share your story and connect with our growing community of families navigating diagnoses, differences, and healing. 🌿 Share your story: bornforthiststories.com 💛 Follow along on Instagram: @bornforthiststories 🎧 Subscribe, rate, and share Born For This Stories to help more parents feel less alone You were born for this — and you don't have to carry it by yourself.

When the standard treatment plan doesn't feel right, what happens next? In Part 2 of Rebecca's three-part story, we continue her family's journey after her daughter's devastating diagnosis of severe juvenile idiopathic arthritis. This episode explores what happened when Rebecca chose to step outside conventional care and pursue a radically different approach. An approach rooted in nutrition, detoxification, gut health, and environmental changes. Rebecca shares the emotional weight of making high-stakes decisions for her child, the isolation that can come with choosing a nontraditional path, and the slow, often invisible work of supporting healing from the inside out. This conversation pulls back the curtain on what holistic healing actually looks like day-to-day, and why resilience, patience, and trust are essential when answers aren't immediate. This episode is for parents navigating chronic illness, autoimmune disease, and the space between medical guidance and parental intuition. This is Part 2 of a three-part story. In this episode What happened after Rebecca decided not to follow the initial medication plan The role of food, sourcing, and dietary changes in autoimmune healing Why gut health became a central focus in her daughter's recovery plan The emotional and financial toll of choosing an alternative path Navigating doubt, criticism, and fear while advocating for your child How detoxification and environmental awareness fit into their healing journey What holistic healing actually looks like behind the scenes Why progress isn't always linear and why that doesn't mean it isn't working 👣 Share your story or connect with our community at bornforthestories.com 💛 Follow us on Instagram @bornforthestories 🙏 Subscribe, rate, and share this episode to help other parents feel less alone

What if healing your child doesn't mean doing more, but understanding why their body is responding the way it is? In the second part of Dr. Kim Tran's story, Johanna and Peter continue the conversation about severe childhood eczema, gut health, and the long road from desperation to empowerment. This episode goes deeper into the science and the emotional reality of parenting a child whose symptoms don't respond to conventional care, and the guilt parents carry when they're told they "did everything right." Dr. Tran explains why eczema is not a skin problem, how gut health and the immune system are inseparably linked, and what it looks like to stop chasing short-term relief and start healing for the long term. This episode is for parents who are exhausted, confused, and quietly wondering if there is another way. In this episode: "Eczema is an immune system reaction" and why steroids only suppress symptoms How healing is possible without steroids The relief and grief of realizing this is not your fault How infant gut health is shaped by birth, antibiotics, environment, and family history Why parents shouldn't feel guilty for choosing a different path The trauma of medical parenting Empowering children to listen to their bodies and participate in their own healing Why Dr. Tran now teaches parents everything she wishes someone had told her sooner ✨ This is the final part of Dr. Kim Tran's family story Her journey doesn't end here. It expands into the work she now does, helping parents heal their children from the inside out. You can connect with Dr. Tran here: 👉 Instagram: @dr_kimtran 👣 Share your story or find support at bornforthestories.com 💛 Follow us on Instagram @bornforthestories 🙏 Subscribe, rate, and share this episode so more parents know they are not alone