Raising a Child With Disabilities: Advocacy, Marriage, Faith & Thriving as a Special Needs Parent | Christine Staple-Ebanks

About this episode

Christine Staple-Ebanks shares her journey as a mother of a child with cerebral palsy, discussing advocacy, family dynamics, and personal resilience.

Raising a child with disabilities can transform every aspect of family life from medical decisions and advocacy to marriage, sibling relationships, and personal identity. In this powerful episode of Family Dialogues , Dr. Taniesha Burke speaks with author, advocate, and speaker Christine Staple-Ebanks , a mother whose son Nathan was diagnosed with cerebral palsy after surviving a life-threatening birth condition. Christine shares her deeply personal journey navigating medical uncertainty, building resilience, and becoming a fierce advocate for her child. From raising Nathan in Jamaica, where services were limited, to navigating complex systems in the United States, Christine reveals how parents can move from overwhelm to empowerment. This conversation explores how families can stay connected, how parents can advocate effectively for their children, and how faith, community, and knowledge can transform a difficult diagnosis into a meaningful life mission. Whether you’re a parent of a child with special needs, a professional working with families, or someone supporting loved ones through similar challenges, this episode offers practical tools, emotional insight, and hope. In This…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Taniesha Burke

Guest: Christine Staple-Ebanks

Topics covered

• disabilities
• advocacy
• parenting
• special needs
• family dynamics
• faith
• resilience

Keywords

• cerebral palsy
• advocacy
• special needs parenting
• family support
• medical decisions
• IEP meetings
• resilience
• faith
• community

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Family Dialogues

Books & works: cerebral palsy

Places: Jamaica, United States

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