Ep. 6: “Trust Your Intuition”-Dr. Elham Raker on Advocating for Kids & Teens at the Doctor's Office

About this episode

Dr. Elham Raker discusses the challenges of advocating for children with chronic illnesses like Long Covid.

In this episode, Dr. Elham Raker, a pediatrician and mother of a child with Long Covid, sheds light on the complexities of managing chronic illness in children. We discuss advocacy, navigating medical systems, and the emotional journey of families affected by Long Covid. Timestamps00:00 – Introduction to the podcast and Dr. Raker's background03:02 – The progression and phases of long COVID in her daughter07:50 – How pediatricians can better support parents advocating for sick children11:37 – Building relationships with doctors and understanding limitations in care14:31 – Obstacles in the healthcare system for chronic illness management16:28 – What training doctors need for better treating chronic illnesses like long COVID and POTS18:23 – The role of trial-and-error in treatment and individualized care23:37 – Community support and crowdsourcing care—pros and cons27:40 – Screening for post-exertional malaise and its relevance in pediatric care34:49 – Recognizing red flags, like school avoidance, as warning signs37:05 – Family dynamics and supporting siblings amidst chronic illness39:02 – The importance of community and social support networks41:27 – The work of Long COVID Families…

People in this episode

Guest: Dr. Elham Raker

Topics covered

• chronic illness
• advocacy
• pediatric care
• Long Covid
• healthcare system
• family support

Keywords

• Long Covid
• chronic illness
• pediatrician
• advocacy
• healthcare
• family support
• emotional journey

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Long COVID Families, NAST Studios

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• Ep. 2: "Harder Than Being a War Reporter"-Becky Diamond on Raising a Son with Long Covid · January 7, 2026 · 58 min
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