The Wild Life of The Best Moments in the Child Life Profession narrated by Alexx Friesen and Jessica Lewin

Certified Child Life Specialist, Jessica Lewin, hosts this final episode of The Child Life Wild Life Podcast with Alexx Friesen to celebrate the profound impact child life specialists make in pediatric healthcare through a collection of heartfelt stories sent in by specialists across the field. What unfolds is a tapestry of remarkable moments that showcase exactly why child life work matters.

From the specialist who calmed a screaming child in the ER—causing their blood pressure to visibly drop on the monitor—to another who taught American Sign Language to a nonverbal hospitalized child, these stories reveal the transformative power of child life interventions. The conversation takes listeners through emotional territory as specialists share experiences like supporting teenage mothers during childbirth, helping children understand permanent physical changes, and even facilitating a powerful goodbye when a hundred high schoolers came to honor their friend in the PICU.

The magic of these stories lies in their authenticity. Some showcase dramatic interventions, while others highlight seemingly small interactions that created lasting impacts. What becomes clear through each anecdote is how child life specialists serve as nervous system regulators, creative problem-solvers, and compassionate guides through difficult medical experiences.

For students and new professionals, this episode offers powerful motivation to persist through the challenging journey into the field. For seasoned specialists feeling burnout, these stories serve as powerful reminders of why they chose this profession. The episode beautifully captures how even in healthcare's most challenging moments, child life specialists create space for understanding, coping, and sometimes even joy.

Ready to be inspired? Listen as Jessica and Alexx laugh, gasp, and occasionally fight back tears while celebrating the remarkable work happening in pediatric healthcare settings every day.

You can follow Alexx on Instagram at @childlifealexx.

Track: Odessa — LiQWYD & Scandinavianz [Audio Library Release]Music provided by Audio Library PlusWatch: https://youtu.be/jNy-Dp3lgcgFree Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/odessa

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Child Life's Best Moments
• 11:07 Sharing Powerful Patient Interactions
• 17:35 Calming Nervous Systems Through Connection
• 32:05 Medical Play and Collaborative Successes
• 45:15 Supporting Families Through Loss
• 54:10 Personal Growth and Professional Impact
• 1:03:04 Final Reflections and Takeaways