Does this sound familiar? You’re a parent, trying your best to navigate the challenges that come with it. But despite all your efforts, you still feel like something is missing. Maybe you’ve been told to just tough it out and go it alone, but that approach leaves you feeling overwhelmed and isolated. The pain of trying to do it all on your own without the support you need can be exhausting and disheartening. But there is a better way.

Join us as we welcome Kayleigh Koehler, a Child Life Specialist who has transformed into a medical parent. She will be sharing valuable insights and strategies on how you can achieve the ultimate goal of becoming a knowledgeable and effective advocate for your child’s medical journey. Get ready to embark on a transformative journey towards becoming the empowered advocate your child needs. Kayleigh has so much wisdom to share with our listeners so we have divided her conversation with Katie into two beautiful episodes so you can soak in her words.

Kayleigh Koehler is a remarkable and multifaceted individual who navigates through life wearing various hats. As a wife to her high school sweetheart Mitch and a mother to their charming four-year-old son, Hudson, Kayleigh’s world is filled with love and profound resilience. Professionally, she is a dedicated child life specialist working tirelessly in a cardiac ICU. Her firsthand expertise and personal connection to her job started to take a unique and powerful perspective when her unborn son was diagnosed with a heart condition. Kayleigh’s courage, wisdom, and gutsy perseverance inscribed an unforgettable chapter in her life story where her professional and personal world intertwined.

Because of this experience, I am a better child life specialist. Because I understand the world in a different way that I simply could not understand when I wasn’t a mom. – Kaylee Koehler

The key moments in this episode are:
00:00:00 – Introduction,

00:01:42 – Reflections on Trauma and Mental Health,

00:09:47 – Advocacy and Empathy in Child Life,

00:13:21 – Permission to Coexist with Messiness,

00:13:56 – Conclusion,

00:16:17 – Introducing a New Course for Parents,

00:17:25 – The Importance of Advocacy,

00:21:05 – Speaking Up for Change,

00:24:35 – The Pressure of Being a Parent Advocate,

00:27:08 – Differentiating Between Healthy and Unhealthy Advocacy,

00:30:45 – The Importance of Support and Self-Care,

00:31:38 – Utilizing Social Media for Connection,

00:32:03 – Prioritizing Mental Health,

00:33:08 – Dreams and Future Aspirations,

00:33:28 – Resources and Support,

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