Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today's practical episode, #176. Our guest today is Jayme Betts, and she founded the Changing Spaces Advocacy Campaign in Massachusetts after experiencing, along with her daughter, Sophia, the challenges that traditional public restrooms present for disabled individuals who require assistance with their daily care.  With rare exceptions, the only options that caretakers have for changing their loved one’s undergarments is on the dirty floor of a public restroom. When the facilities offered do not even allow for this, many caretakers resort to setting up a c ..read more

Hello Brave Friends! This is story episode #175. When our child gets diagnosed it can feel like the snow globe of our life gets shaken really hard, and that everything is suddenly up in the air. But as the flakes slowly settle, we get the chance to reevaluate our relationships with everything, including ourselves.  When Margaret Webb’s son was diagnosed with Autism she became a warrior for him, fighting day in and day out for his comfort, development and care. But as you might guess, in the heat of battle, she lost touch with herself. Until one day, she saw a magazine cover that reminded ..read more

Hello Brave Friends! In this story episode, #172, we enter the world of a parent living on unstable ground. An emotional state riddled with fault lines, shifting plates and the possibility that even a fun outing could cause an earthquake of a seizure in her child’s body. Erin Rusling’s daughter was born with Dravet Syndrome, a rare and severe form of Epilepsy that causes prolonged seizures. Almost two, at the time of this story, Erin’s daughter had already had many seizures and had come out of them with minimal measures, but the BIG ONE was never impossible and always lurking.  Welcome ..read more

Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to practical episode #170, in which we are discussing the importance and responsibility of adopting older children who have experienced trauma. We cover what you need to think about before adopting, ways to prepare for adopting, the systemic problems that need changing and how enormous the need is.  Our guest is Jenell Jones, mother of six, who adopted a seventh child, “because what’s one more when you have six!?”, an eight year-old girl, who she fell in love with and would later learn needed extensive services and support.  Jenell is an early education e ..read more

Hello Brave Friends! This is story episode, #169, in which we talk about the underrated difficulty level of being a parent to a child with extreme allergies. When we bring home a newborn, all we want to do is feed them, nourish them and help them to grow. But what if everything we’re feeding them seems to make them irritable, gassy, rashy and miserable; and then we’re miserable. Susanna Peace Lovell knew something serious was going on with her child, but was assured by doctors that her daughter would grow out of her allergies. In the meantime, she became an expert burper, wind remover and whit ..read more

Hello Brave Friends! This is an Ask Us Anything episode in which YOU, the listener, get to write or call in and, you guessed it, ASK US ANYTHING!  In this episode, #168, we are tackling the HIGHLY relatable question, what do we do when our spouse is not very involved in our disability caregiving? This is such a common question, especially in our community. Relationships are ALREADY full of murky divisions of labor and then throw in all the extra tasks that come with a disabled child and it doesn’t usually get easier to negotiate. Luckily, we have a well qualified team to handle this quest ..read more

Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to practical episode #167, a TWO PARTER, in which we are diving into the nitty gritty around accessing mental health benefits and services. In Part 1 we focus on what services are available and how to find them and ways to approach starting the process. In Part 2 we focus on how the process works once you’re on the road to receiving services and the important things to consider and questions to ask your providers.  Our guest is Natalie Elliott Handy. And, oh my gosh, is she a wealth of information. She is a seasoned, healthcare executive with 24+ years in the ..read more

Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to practical episode #167, a TWO PARTER, in which we are diving into the nitty gritty around accessing mental health benefits and services. In Part 1 we focus on what services are available and how to find them and ways to approach starting the process. In Part 2 we focus on how the process works once you’re on the road to receiving services and the important things to consider and questions to ask your providers.  Our guest is Natalie Elliott Handy. And, oh my gosh, is she a wealth of information. She is a seasoned, healthcare executive with 24+ years in the ..read more

Hello Brave Friends! On this story episode, #166, we are stepping into the shoes of a brand new care-giving parent, who, like so many of us, left the hospital and was immediately faced with piles of paperwork, prescriptions to administer, insurance issues, medical supplies to order and the endless phone calls, transfers and holds that become our JOB to navigate. Kelley Coleman had a new baby with multiple disabilities, a toddler, and was getting no calls back from the Regional Center. So, on one particularly rainy day, she took matters into her own hands and started her journey towards figurin ..read more

Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to our first Practical Episode of Season 6. This is episode 164 and we could not be more thrilled and honored and in awe of our guest today, Kevin McGuire. Talk about the triumph of the human spirit, Kevin, personifies this. He was hit by a drunk driver at the age of seven and has used a wheelchair ever since.   He is now the CEO and founder of McGuire Associates, the nation's leading consulting firm specializing in compliance with state and federal disability laws, including, but not limited to, the Americans with Disabilities Act and Fair Housing Act. He's a ..read more