Inside the Children's Hospital

Megan Gast, mom to twins Jet and Luke, sits down with Katie to tell us her story of maneuvering through the NICU, receiving Luke's epilepsy diagnosis and grieving his loss. Megan illustrates how her postpartum depression impacted her initial relationship with Luke as he was in the NICU. 
She also reveals some insight as to properly advocate for support not only for Luke but for herself as a parent constantly being in emergency mode. Ultimately, we find out how she is able to find peace in knowing that Luke has always been in control of his own story, and how she is able to keep his memory alive in Luke's Lifeline Foundation. 
Time Stamps
1:32 - Introduction to Megan
4:32 - IVF Journey 
9:22 - Bringing Jet and Luke into the World
17:05 - Luke's Hydrocephalus
26:37 - Creating Bonds with the Twins
29:03 - Postpartum Depression and PTSD 
31:34 - Finding a Support System
36:18 - Moving back to Nebraska 
44:56 - Building up a Community 
46:52 - Luke's Lifeline and Choosing His Own Story
53:53- Advocating for Luke in the PICU 
59:05 - Being Luke's Mom
Resources
https://lukeslifeline.org/
 
To listen to more episodes, head to insidethechildrenshospital.com
This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Every child and family is different. Always talk with your child's healthcare team about questions or decisions related to their care.
The experiences and opinions shared by guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of their employers, healthcare organizations, or Inside the Children's Hospital.

In this week's episode, Kristy Berksza, a mom and Child Life Specialist, tells us how her experience being a healthcare professional and a parent taught her how to communicate a diagnosis to her own daughter. Kristy's daughter was diagnosed with OCD last year when her refusal to go to school worsened.
 
Being a former CLS, Kristy has been able to better support her daughter and explain what the diagnosis means for her going forward. Kristy tells us how a mixture of both medication and therapy that she advocated for have helped create a positive difference in Maggie's quality of life!
 
Timestamps 
1:33 - Introduction to Kristy
5:15 - Receiving the OCD diagnosis  
11:16 - Communicating the diagnosis to her child 
19:59 - Treating OCD in Children
23:24 - Her daughter's Superpowers
26:50 - Finding Community and Taking Care of Oneself
34:08 - Advocating for your Child's Health
 
To listen to more episodes, head to insidethechildrenshospital.com
This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Every child and family is different. Always talk with your child's healthcare team about questions or decisions related to their care.
The experiences and opinions shared by guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of their employers, healthcare organizations, or Inside the Children's Hospital.

Katie Taylor sits down with Katie Cangi, mom to 4 and medical mom to her youngest, Lola. Lola was Katie's first NICU baby, and for nine months she was a happy baby, till it became harder and harder for Katie and her husband to calm her down. 
Both Katies traverse through the diagnosis process, as Katie C. attended multiple doctors visits in order to figure out Lola's LCH (Langershans Cell Histiocytosis) diagnosis. Finally getting the answer, the hospital became the family's second home, and Katie gives us an understanding of how she, along with her family, were able to find the little joys in their new atmosphere. 
TimeStamps
1:29 - Introduction to Katie's Journey 
4:22 - Lola's Diagnosis
7:15 - Understanding LCH 
10:14 - Navigating the Diagnosis 
13:12 - The Impact of LCH on Family Life 
16:25 - Navigating Treatment Decisions 
22:12 - Coping Strategies for Caregivers 
25:29 - Managing Hospital Visits 
29:29 - Supporting Siblings in Medical Journeys 
31:31 - Finding Joy Amidst Challenges 
33:18 - Reality of Medical Parenting
 
Resources
What is LCH
 
To listen to more episodes, head to insidethechildrenshospital.com
This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Every child and family is different. Always talk with your child's healthcare team about questions or decisions related to their care.
The experiences and opinions shared by guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of their employers, healthcare organizations, or Inside the Children's Hospital.

In today's episode, we sat down with Kristen Cowan, a teacher, and mom of Rylen and Corbin. In 2017, Rylen was only 13 months old when he woke up with a fever that turned out to be bacterial meningitis. Rylen was in the hospital for about 9 days before he unfortunately passed away from the illness.  
Kristen shares her journey of being in the hospital with Rylen, and how she was able to provide a new hope for other families through organ donation. Throughout the episode, Kristen unpacks how she is able to cope with the loss of Rylen by creating a legacy through the Smilin' Rylen Foundation. The foundation was made to honor Rylen by raising awareness about organ donation and assisting families in crisis by offering to pay for hospital parking passes.
 
Time Stamps 
1:32 - Introduction to Kristen
4:29 - The Journey of Loss and Grief
9:30 - Hospital Experiences and Medical Challenges
19:30 - The Decision of Organ Donation 
24:29 - Creating a Legacy 
32:21 - Understanding Rylen's Health Challenges
38:08 - Finding Purpose Through Grief
41:26 - The Significance of Orange 
44:15 - The Parking Pass Program 
49:27 - Growing the Foundation's Impact 
52:14 - Celebrating Rylen's Impact
 
Resources
https://www.smilinrylenfoundation.org/
https://www.facebook.com/SmilinRylenFoundation/

 
To listen to more episodes, head to insidethechildrenshospital.com
This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Every child and family is different. Always talk with your child's healthcare team about questions or decisions related to their care.
The experiences and opinions shared by guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of their employers, healthcare organizations, or Inside the Children's Hospital.

For this week's episode, Katie is talking with fellow child-life specialist, Annie "Sunshine" Gunning. For 25 years, Annie has helped adapt typical playtime into something that everyone with different needs, such as children who are nonverbal or wheelchair bound, can enjoy. 
Annie gives us insight into how playing through medical experiences like going to a therapy appointment is important for children to understand the world around them. Similarly, Annie leads us into the hospital setting, detailing how play inside the hospital can create positive environments for children, especially for children who are staying for a longer period of time. 
 
Timestamps 
1:44 - Intro to Child Life and Play
3:20 - Adapting Play for Children with Disabilities 
6:57 - Sibling Interaction and Play
9:03 - Play in Hospital Setting 
12:42 - Creative Play for Hospitalized Children
17:45 - The Importance of Play in Medical Experiences
 
Resources
Annie's Company
Hope for HIE
Annie's Instagram
 
To listen to more episodes, head to insidethechildrenshospital.com
This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Every child and family is different. Always talk with your child's healthcare team about questions or decisions related to their care.
The experiences and opinions shared by guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of their employers, healthcare organizations, or Inside the Children's Hospital.