Tiny Little Hearts Podcast
This podcast is about Congenital Heart Disease (CHD), complex medical journeys, parenting through uncertainty and the deep resilience of walking through big life changes.
Hosted by Katelyn McMahan, a mom to three girls whose life was changed in an instant when she found out her youngest daughter had complex cardiac abnormalities. She went searching to hear about kids with a similar diagnosis and wanted to see the life they were living. She didn’t want the curated, polished stories so she could prepare her heart for the good, bad and ugly.
This podcast does just that and highlights conversations from individuals, parents, medical providers, and others navigating the very real and overwhelming world of congenital heart defects and other medical complexities. You’ll hear honest conversations, practical advice and space to feel seen and understood.
Tiny Little Hearts Podcast
22. The Sibling Side of CHD: From Lila’s Heart
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Summary
In this episode, Katelyn has a conversation with her 9 year old daughter, Lila, who shares about her experience being a sibling of a child with heart problems. She shares insights on family resilience, emotional processing and caring for her sister, Goldie. Lila gives insight to the emotional impact it had on her and her other sister Maeve, as well as what was helpful for them when processing and understanding what was going on with their new baby sister. Katelyn shares about giving Lila a Gizmo Watch for a line of communication that she could message at any time when needing to send a message or hear from mom or dad when they were away. They also talk about the ways Lila has learned to help care for her medically complex sister. This episode highlights how open communication helps children process difficult situations, how siblings can be brave and caring and provide emotional support for each other, and how involving children in care routines fosters understanding and connection.
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This episode was brought to you by the Pivot Ball Change Network.