For the Love of Health

Healing Through Play: The Life of a Child Life Specialist with Shannon Taylor

• ChristianaCare • Season 3 • Episode 8

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When you have to take your child to the hospital, it's not a good day for anyone in your family. But a Child Life Specialist can help make your experience a little more positive.

In this episode, we're joined by ChristianaCare's first Child Life Specialist, Shannon Taylor, who explains how fear loses power when kids have a plan, and how preparation, choice, and play can turn stressful hospital moments into manageable ones. We walk through the practical tools that make a real difference. A custom LEGO model of an MRI machine and an app with real scanner sounds help children understand what they’ll see and hear, while crafts, FaceTime, and medical dolls help children feel connected to a new sibling who may be separated from them in the NICU—and know how to safely interact when the baby finally comes home. 

The work stretches beyond pediatrics. When a parent or grandparent is hospitalized—or nearing end-of-life—kids need honest words, not whispers. Shannon guides families through bedside goodbyes and memory-making rituals, helping both children and adults navigate procedures and loss. 

Whether hospital care is needed at the beginning, middle, or end of life, a Child Life Specialist can help alleviate some of the stress for kids. Don't wait for the medical crisis to hit - listen now to learn how a Child Life Specialist can help your family.


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Megan McGuriman

Co-host