About this episode
The episode explores the journey of parent advocacy through the story of Ashlyn Thompson and her daughter’s medical challenges.
Send us Fan Mail The moment you realize “the system” can’t carry this for you is the moment you become your child’s advocate. I sit down with Ashlyn Thompson , co-founder and executive hope director of Parent Empowerment Network , to unpack the kind of courage that gets built in hospital rooms at 2 a.m. Ashlyn shares the story of her daughter Emery’s rare congenital condition, bladder exstrophy, and what it’s like to hold joy and grief at the same time on the day your child is born. We talk through the realities of complex pediatric surgery, extended hospital stays, and the terrifying medical crises that forced Ashlyn to trade blind trust for informed partnership. She explains why parent advocacy is not about fighting doctors, it’s about collaboration, clear communication, and treating a caregiver’s observations as meaningful data for care decisions like pain management and medication changes. If you’ve ever felt the pressure of making a choice that could shape a child’s entire future, you’ll recognize the weight she names so honestly. Then the story takes a turn that will stick with you: a single comment in an online parent support group leads Ashlyn to Great Ormond Street…
People in this episode
Host: Mike Rathbun
Guest: Ashlyn Thompson
Topics covered
- parent advocacy
- pediatric surgery
- medical crises
- collaboration in healthcare
- emotional challenges of parenting
- rare congenital conditions
Keywords
- parent advocacy
- pediatric surgery
- bladder exstrophy
- medical crises
- collaboration
- healthcare decisions
- support groups
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Parent Empowerment Network
Places: Great Ormond Street Hospital, United States, London
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