Hello Brave Friends! This is story episode #179. And it features one of the many powerful stories we showcase in our first ever Brave Together book! It’s an anthology of stories shared courageously by our community of moms and it’s called Becoming Brave Together: heroic, extraordinary caregiving stories from mothers hidden in plain sight. It is available now and the link to find it is in the show notes, so go get yourself a copy!
Today we hear a story from Lora DeMello about her experience parenting a neurodivergent daughter. Sometimes called “invisible disabilities” neurodivergence can be particularly stressful because of how often it is misunderstood, misdiagnosed or completely disregarded as a real disability.
Welcome to today's story episode: What You Don’t See
Lora DeMello is the President of the We Are Brave Together board. Her WABT journey began when her daughter was diagnosed at age seven with several ‘hidden’ unique needs, including OCD, ADD, GAD, and Cyclothymia, and her son was diagnosed with ADHD at age six. Additionally, Lora is now also stepmom to her two stepsons, who, combined, carry a variety of diagnoses including: Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, PDA, depression, anxiety, and a rare blood disorder. Lora has a passion for empowering people through connection, art, the written word, and interactive experiences and she is truly honored to be a part of this WABT community.
Find our first book from We Are Brave Together here.
Find our Becoming Brave Together book trailer here.
Donate to our Mother's Day Fundraiser here.
Find WABT 5K Fundraiser here.
Brave Together is the podcast for We are Brave Together, a not-for-profit organization based in the USA. The heart of We Are Brave Together is to strengthen, encourage, inspire and validate all moms of children with disabilities and other needs in their unique journeys.
JOIN the international community of We Are Brave Together here.
Donate to our Retreats and Respite Scholarships here.
Donate to keep this podcast going here.
Can’t get enough of the Brave Together Podcast?
Follow our Instagram Page @wearebravetogether or on Facebook.
Feel free to contact Jessica Patay via email: jpatay@wearebravetogether.org
If you have any topic requests or if you would like to share a story, leave us a message here.
Please leave a review and rating today! We thank you in advance!
Hello Brave Friends! This is story episode #178. And it features one of the many powerful stories we showcase in our first ever Brave Together book! It’s an anthology of stories shared courageously by our community of moms and it’s called Becoming Brave Together: heroic, extraordinary caregiving stories from mothers hidden in plain sight. It is available now and the link to find it is in the show notes, so go get yourself and everybody you know a copy!
Today’s story is from Claire McMurray whose daughter was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called Rett Syndrome. The story she tells is a beautiful articulation of the ache we feel as parents when our not so typical kids struggle to make friends.
Welcome to today's story episode: Behind the Window
Claire McMurray Ph.D. holds a doctorate from Yale and worked as an academic before she left the workforce to care for her youngest daughter. She has degrees in French and German and lived in both France and Germany. She loves to read, write, run, and hunt for treasures in thrift stores. She runs a blog called I Don't Know How You Do It, has had articles published on parenting sites and in literary magazines, and has won several writing contests for her creative nonfiction.
Find Claire’s Website with her blog for parents of children with differences, disabilities, and diagnoses here.
Find our first book from We Are Brave Together here.
Find our Becoming Brave Together book trailer here.
Find WABT 5K Fundraiser here.
Donate to our Mother's Day Fundraiser here.
Brave Together is the podcast for We are Brave Together, a not-for-profit organization based in the USA. The heart of We Are Brave Together is to strengthen, encourage, inspire and validate all moms of children with disabilities and other needs in their unique journeys.
JOIN the international community of We Are Brave Together here.
Donate to our Retreats and Respite Scholarships here.
Donate to keep this podcast going here.
Can’t get enough of the Brave Together Podcast?
Follow our Instagram Page @wearebravetogether or on Facebook.
Feel free to contact Jessica Patay via email: jpatay@wearebravetogether.org
If you have any topic requests or if you would like to share a story, leave us a message here.
Please leave a review and rating today! We thank you in advance!
Hello Brave Friends! This is story episode #177. And it features one of the many powerful stories we feature in our first ever Brave Together book! It’s an anthology of stories shared courageously by our community of moms and it’s called Becoming Brave Together: heroic, extraordinary caregiving stories from mothers hidden in plain sight. It is out as of today! So go get yourself a copy!!! The link to find it is in the show notes.
Today’s story is from the Becoming Brave Together anthology. It’s a story excerpt from Jessica Baer who brings us into the raw emotions she felt the day she gave birth in South Africa, to a son with Down Syndrome. Welcome to today's story episode: A Down Syndrome Diagnosis in South Africa 30 Years Ago
Jessica Baer was born and raised in South Africa and immigrated to the USA in 1995. She’s been a speech language pathologist for 36 years and is passionate about helping children to communicate. She is a certified Auditory Verbal Therapist and enjoys working with young deaf and hard of hearing children and their parents to facilitate listening and spoken language at home. Jessica loves to cook and eat healthy food, garden, bird watch and travel. She has a love for family, fashion and reality TV.
Jessica has been a member of We are Brave Together for 4 years and wrote weekly Facebook posts titled Wesley Wednesday for 2 years for the group. Jessica was recently honored to take on the role of leader for the We are Brave Together South Bay Connection Circle. Jessica lives with her wife Toni and son Wesley in Lomita, Los Angeles, where they have a vegetable garden and an outdoor pond with four fish.
Find our first book from We Are Brave Together out TODAY May 1st here.
Find Becoming Brave Together Book Trailer here.
Find WABT 5K Fundraiser here.
Donate to our Mother's Day Fundraiser here.
Brave Together is the podcast for We are Brave Together, a not-for-profit organization based in the USA. The heart of We Are Brave Together is to strengthen, encourage, inspire and validate all moms of children with disabilities and other needs in their unique journeys.
JOIN the international community of We Are Brave Together here.
Donate to our Retreats and Respite Scholarships here.
Donate to keep this podcast going here.
Can’t get enough of the Brave Together Podcast?
Follow our Instagram Page @wearebravetogether or on Facebook.
Feel free to contact Jessica Patay via email: jpatay@wearebravetogether.org
If you have any topic requests or if you would like to share a story, leave us a message here.
Please leave a review and rating today! We thank you in advance!
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 changing station in the car, exposed to the elements and with no privacy.
As the individual ages and the situation becomes ever more challenging and unsafe, difficult decisions are made to stay home and begin a spiral toward social isolation. Universal changing tables are needed. They are powered, height adjustable tables that are large enough to support an adult weighing up to 300 pounds.
Changing Spaces in Massachusetts was organized just last year, but there was already work being done by a handful of individuals around the state. You'll hear all about it in my conversation with the inspirational, Jayme Betts.
Find the Changing Spaces Campaign website here.
Find the Momentum Refresh website here.
Find WABT 5K Fundraiser here.
Find our first book from We Are Brave Together coming May 1st here.
Brave Together is the podcast for We are Brave Together, a not-for-profit organization based in the USA. The heart of We Are Brave Together is to strengthen, encourage, inspire and validate all moms of children with disabilities and other needs in their unique journeys.
JOIN the international community of We Are Brave Together here.
Donate to our Retreats and Respite Scholarships here.
Donate to keep this podcast going here.
Can’t get enough of the Brave Together Podcast?
Follow our Instagram Page @wearebravetogether or on Facebook.
Feel free to contact Jessica Patay via email: jpatay@wearebravetogether.org
If you have any topic requests or if you would like to share a story, leave us a message here.
Please leave a review and rating today! We thank you in advance!
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 her to reconnect.
Welcome to today's story episode: Diagnosis Isn't a Choice, My Martyrdom Is.
Margaret Webb is a parent coach and a Master Certified Martha Beck Life Coach. She has trained, apprenticed, mentored and taught as a Nature-Based Coach. She has a son who is on the autism spectrum, had apraxia of speech, didn't speak until he was 5, has anxiety and ADHD. He LOVES the work she does and takes great pride in the fact that she gets to help other parents with their children. Margaret loves connecting with people through Facebook, tele-classes and in-person workshops and retreats. Knowing that she is helping others to find ease and joy in their lives makes her heart very happy!! She has written a beautiful book called "A Hero's Journey in Parenting: Parenting the Child You Didn't Expect While You Were Expecting" and it is linked below.
Find Margaret Webb’s Book here.
Find Margaret Webb’s Parent Coaching Website here.
Find WABT 5K Fundraiser here.
Find our first book from We Are Brave Together coming May 1st here.
Brave Together is the podcast for We are Brave Together, a not-for-profit organization based in the USA. The heart of We Are Brave Together is to strengthen, encourage, inspire and validate all moms of children with disabilities and other needs in their unique journeys.
JOIN the international community of We Are Brave Together here.
Donate to our Retreats and Respite Scholarships here.
Donate to keep this podcast going here.
Can’t get enough of the Brave Together Podcast?
Follow our Instagram Page @wearebravetogether or on Facebook.
Feel free to contact Jessica Patay via email: jpatay@wearebravetogether.org
If you have any topic requests or if you would like to share a story, leave us a message here.
Please leave a review and rating today! We thank you in advance!
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, #174, we are responding to the question, How do I Support my Neuro-Divergent Kid as They Blossom into a Teen? It’s a bittersweet transition from childhood to young adulthood that we all experience in different ways. And with neuro-divergent kids the transition and experience can pose very real logistical and emotional challenges. We have to stay on our toes as parents to handle this intense growth period with grace.
Hopefully this episode can give you some comfort, as our co-hosts share anecdotes from their own experience, and remind you, as always, that you’re not alone. You’ll also find a helpful resource for sex-ed for the intellectually disabled and their support systems, mentioned in this episode, linked below.
Thank you so much for listening and calling in with your questions. Keep them coming!
Find the Mad Hatter Wellness Website here.
Whether you have questions as a parent to a child with complex medical or mental health needs or you’re someone looking to support a care-giving parent, we would LOVE to hear from you.
If you have any topic requests or if you would like to ask a question, leave us a message here.
Find more information about Licensed Psychotherapist, Dr. Zoe Shaw here.
Find more information about Life Coach, Susanna Peace Lovell here.
Find Susanna’s book, Your True Self is Enough here.
Find our first book from We Are Brave Together coming May 1st here.
Brave Together is the podcast for We are Brave Together, a not-for-profit organization based in the USA. The heart of We Are Brave Together is to strengthen, encourage, inspire and validate all moms of children with disabilities and other needs in their unique journeys.
JOIN the international community of We Are Brave Together here.
Donate to our Retreats and Respite Scholarships here.
Donate to keep this podcast going here.
Can’t get enough of the Brave Together Podcast?
Follow our Instagram Page @wearebravetogether or on Facebook.
Feel free to contact Jessica Patay via email: jpatay@wearebravetogether.org
If you have any topic requests or if you would like to share a story, leave us a message here.
Please leave a review and rating today! We thank you in advance!
Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to practical episode #173. Our guest is a fellow caregiving mama and creator of CapeAble Weighted Products, Marna Pacheco.
Marna created CapeAble, originally for her daughter Millie, who needed help regulating her nervous system. CapeAble is unique from all other weighted blanket manufacturers, because its patented SmartWeight technology provides an even weight distribution resulting in precise, deep touch pressure. What does this mean for parent caregivers? The deep touch pressure of SmartWeight helps provide a sense of safety, connection, and nervous system regulation.
I can't wait for you to hear this conversation which is both touching and informative. And I hope that you will try the products. It's such a nice option and comes from someone who is truly passionate about what they do. Please, enjoy this conversation and make sure that you check out CapeAble Weighted Products.
Thanks for listening!
Find Marna Pacheco’s CapeAble Weighted Products here.
Find our first book from We Are Brave Together coming May 1st here.
Brave Together is the podcast for We are Brave Together, a not-for-profit organization based in the USA. The heart of We Are Brave Together is to strengthen, encourage, inspire and validate all moms of children with disabilities and other needs in their unique journeys.
JOIN the international community of We Are Brave Together here.
Donate to our Retreats and Respite Scholarships here.
Donate to keep this podcast going here.
Can’t get enough of the Brave Together Podcast?
Follow our Instagram Page @wearebravetogether or on Facebook.
Feel free to contact Jessica Patay via email: jpatay@wearebravetogether.org
If you have any topic requests or if you would like to share a story, leave us a message here.
Please leave a review and rating today! We thank you in advance!
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 to today's story episode: Walking on Eggshells with Epilepsy.
Erin is a wife, mom of 2 human children and 3 fur children. She loves making pancakes on Sunday mornings, planning family vacations and listening to true crime podcasts. She stays busy balancing work, family, Dravet medical research and looking for her cold cup of coffee that she knows is around here somewhere. She believes that research and advocacy is the most important part of being a rare parent.
Brave Together is the podcast for We are Brave Together, a not-for-profit organization based in the USA. The heart of We Are Brave Together is to strengthen, encourage, inspire and validate all moms of children with disabilities and other needs in their unique journeys.
Find our first book from We Are Brave Together coming May 1st here.
JOIN the international community of We Are Brave Together here.
Donate to our Retreats and Respite Scholarships here.
Donate to keep this podcast going here.
Can’t get enough of the Brave Together Podcast?
Follow our Instagram Page @wearebravetogether or on Facebook.
Feel free to contact Jessica Patay via email: jpatay@wearebravetogether.org
If you have any topic requests or if you would like to share a story, leave us a message here.
Please leave a review and rating today! We thank you in advance!
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, #171, we are responding to the question, what do I do when my kid is being bullied? It’s so heart wrenching to imagine our vulnerable kiddos being bullied but kids can be mean and it does happen. On this episode we discuss methods of dealing with bullying ranging from reporting the issue at our next IEP meeting to practicing daily affirmations with our kids at home.
Thank you so much for listening and calling in with your questions. Keep them coming!
Whether you have questions as a parent to a child with complex medical or mental health needs or you’re someone looking to support a care-giving parent, we would LOVE to hear from you.
If you have any topic requests or if you would like to ask a question, leave us a message here.
Find more information about Licensed Psychotherapist, Dr. Zoe Shaw here.
Find more information about Life Coach, Susanna Peace Lovell here.
Find Susanna’s book, Your True Self is Enough here.
Find Information about CA Disability Rights in regards to Bullying and Harassment here.
Find our first book from We Are Brave Together coming May 1st here.
Brave Together is the podcast for We are Brave Together, a not-for-profit organization based in the USA. The heart of We Are Brave Together is to strengthen, encourage, inspire and validate all moms of children with disabilities and other needs in their unique journeys.
JOIN the international community of We Are Brave Together here.
Donate to our Retreats and Respite Scholarships here.
Donate to keep this podcast going here.
Can’t get enough of the Brave Together Podcast?
Follow our Instagram Page @wearebravetogether or on Facebook.
Feel free to contact Jessica Patay via email: jpatay@wearebravetogether.org
If you have any topic requests or if you would like to share a story, leave us a message here.
Please leave a review and rating today! We thank you in advance!
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 entrepreneur, currently operating multiple early learning centers, which specialize in providing high quality learning experiences to children who experienced trauma in low income areas.
Her education background includes earning a bachelor's degree in business management and a master's in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis on autism spectrum disorders from Arizona State University. A native of Phoenix, Arizona, Jenelle has provided her expertise to families for the last decade and currently hosts private discussions with other foster and adoptive parents on current issues affecting the nontraditional home.
Find links to her website and book below and thanks for listening to today's worthwhile conversation.
Find Jenell Jones’ website here.
Find Jenell Jones’ book, Shattered, here.
Brave Together is the podcast for We are Brave Together, a not-for-profit organization based in the USA. The heart of We Are Brave Together is to strengthen, encourage, inspire and validate all moms of children with disabilities and other needs in their unique journeys.
JOIN the international community of We Are Brave Together here.
Donate to our Retreats and Respite Scholarships here.
Donate to keep this podcast going here.
Can’t get enough of the Brave Together Podcast?
Follow our Instagram Page @wearebravetogether or on Facebook.
Feel free to contact Jessica Patay via email: jpatay@wearebravetogether.org
If you have any topic requests or if you would like to share a story, leave us a message here.
Please leave a review and rating today! We thank you in advance!
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 whittled away at her own diet to help protect her child. Yet things kept getting worse. Already exhausted at every turn, eventually her daughter was also diagnosed with Autism. Welcome to today's story episode: When severe allergies join the family.
I’m so glad Susanna is here and shared this story, which is actually from her fantastic book Your True Self is Enough: Lessons Learned on My Journey Parenting a Child with Autism. Which I highly recommend. She is a former highly dedicated connection circle leader for We Are Brave Together in LA for 3 plus years, and is now a co-host for our Ask Us Anything episodes. She’s just a joy to be around and has so much to share. I think you’re really going to love my conversation with the warrior woman, Susanna Peace Lovell.
Find more information about Life Coach, Susanna Peace Lovell here.
Find Susanna’s book, Your True Self is Enough: Lessons Learned on My Journey Parenting a Child with Autism here.
Brave Together is the podcast for We are Brave Together, a not-for-profit organization based in the USA. The heart of We Are Brave Together is to strengthen, encourage, inspire and validate all moms of children with disabilities and other needs in their unique journeys.
JOIN the international community of We Are Brave Together here.
Donate to our Retreats and Respite Scholarships here.
Donate to keep this podcast going here.
Can’t get enough of the Brave Together Podcast?
Follow our Instagram Page @wearebravetogether or on Facebook.
Feel free to contact Jessica Patay via email: jpatay@wearebravetogether.org
If you have any topic requests or if you would like to share a story, leave us a message here.
Please leave a review and rating today! We thank you in advance!
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 question. As always we pour compassion on our questioner and offer strategies to tackle the problem.
Thank you so much for listening and calling in with your questions. Keep them coming!
Whether you have questions as a parent to a child with complex medical or mental health needs or you’re someone looking to support a care-giving parent, we would LOVE to hear from you.
If you have any topic requests or if you would like to ask a question, leave us a message here.
Find more information about Licensed Psychotherapist, Dr. Zoe Shaw here.
Find more information about Life Coach, Susanna Peace Lovell here.
Find Susanna’s book, Your True Self is Enough here.
Brave Together is the podcast for We are Brave Together, a not-for-profit organization based in the USA. The heart of We Are Brave Together is to strengthen, encourage, inspire and validate all moms of children with disabilities and other needs in their unique journeys.
JOIN the international community of We Are Brave Together here.
Donate to our Retreats and Respite Scholarships here.
Donate to keep this podcast going here.
Can’t get enough of the Brave Together Podcast?
Follow our Instagram Page @wearebravetogether or on Facebook.
Feel free to contact Jessica Patay via email: jpatay@wearebravetogether.org
If you have any topic requests or if you would like to share a story, leave us a message here.
Please leave a review and rating today! We thank you in advance!
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 health and human services industry. Currently, she serves as the Vice President of Government Affairs and Advocacy at Health Connect America, a behavioral and mental health company offering services throughout Virginia and eight states in the southeastern United States.
Prior to coming to Health Connect America, Natalie served as CEO of Intercept Health, CEO of four psychiatric residential treatment facilities in Virginia, VP of Utilization Review and Clinical Audit and CSA coordinator for the City of Roanoke, department of Social Services. A servant at heart, Natalie takes pride in being seen as a mental health concierge, helping families and agencies navigate the system to find the most appropriate service.
In September twenty-Twenty-two Natalie alongside sisters J.J. Elliott Hill and Emily Elliott founded Sisterhood of Care, an organization offering caregivers a safe place to relate, learn, be inspired, find hope, and obtain the critical resources needed to support their loved one while also maintaining their sense of self. The Sisters launched their website and blog Confessions of a Reluctant Caregiver in October, 2022, followed by their Confessions podcast in January, 2023.
Welcome to today's VERY helpful conversation; we hope you get a lot out of it and please utilize all the resources linked below.
Resources
More about Health Connect America here.
Natalie and her sister’s Blog and Podcast, Confessions of a Reluctant Caregiver, here.
Find information about IEPs and 504 plans here.
Find information about the EAP Program here.
Link to FindHelp.org here.
Link to 211.org here.
Link to uniteus.com here.
And… if you still have questions here is Natalie Elliott Handy’s email that she so generously provided for any further questions or assistance: natalie.handy@healthconnectamerica.com
Brave Together is the podcast for We are Brave Together, a not-for-profit organization based in the USA. The heart of We Are Brave Together is to strengthen, encourage, inspire and validate all moms of children with disabilities and other needs in their unique journeys.
JOIN the international community of We Are Brave Together here.
Donate to our Retreats and Respite Scholarships here.
Donate to keep this podcast going here.
Can’t get enough of the Brave Together Podcast?
Follow
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 health and human services industry. Currently, she serves as the Vice President of Government Affairs and Advocacy at Health Connect America, a behavioral and mental health company offering services throughout Virginia and eight states in the southeastern United States.
Prior to coming to Health Connect America, Natalie served as CEO of Intercept Health, CEO of four psychiatric residential treatment facilities in Virginia, VP of Utilization Review and Clinical Audit and CSA coordinator for the City of Roanoke, department of Social Services. A servant at heart, Natalie takes pride in being seen as a mental health concierge, helping families and agencies navigate the system to find the most appropriate service.
In September twenty-Twenty-two Natalie alongside sisters J.J. Elliott Hill and Emily Elliott founded Sisterhood of Care, an organization offering caregivers a safe place to relate, learn, be inspired, find hope, and obtain the critical resources needed to support their loved one while also maintaining their sense of self. The Sisters launched their website and blog Confessions of a Reluctant Caregiver in October, 2022, followed by their Confessions podcast in January, 2023.
Welcome to today's VERY helpful conversation; we hope you get a lot out of it and please utilize all the resources linked below.
Resources
More about Health Connect America here.
Natalie and her sister’s Blog and Podcast, Confessions of a Reluctant Caregiver, here.
Find information about IEPs and 504 plans here.
Find information about the EAP Program here.
Link to FindHelp.org here.
Link to 211.org here.
Link to uniteus.com here.
And… if you still have questions here is Natalie Elliott Handy’s email that she so generously provided for any further questions or assistance: natalie.handy@healthconnectamerica.com
Brave Together is the podcast for We are Brave Together, a not-for-profit organization based in the USA. The heart of We Are Brave Together is to strengthen, encourage, inspire and validate all moms of children with disabilities and other needs in their unique journeys.
JOIN the international community of We Are Brave Together here.
Donate to our Retreats and Respite Scholarships here.
Donate to keep this podcast going here.
Can’t get enough of the Brave Together Podcast?
Follow&
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 figuring it out, for all of us!
Welcome to today's story episode: Crying on the Steps of the Regional Center
Author and advocate Kelley Coleman is the parent of two amazing boys, one of whom has multiple disabilities. Her book Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child draws upon over a decade of advocacy, with the candor, humor, and relatability earned in her prior career of writing and developing talking animal movies. She was recently named Best Mom Ever by her two discerning children and received a congratulatory mug.
Find Kelley Coleman’s Website here.
Find Kelley Coleman’s Book here.
Brave Together is the podcast for We are Brave Together, a not-for-profit organization based in the USA. The heart of We Are Brave Together is to strengthen, encourage, inspire and validate all moms of children with disabilities and other needs in their unique journeys.
JOIN the international community of We Are Brave Together here.
Donate to our Retreats and Respite Scholarships here.
Donate to keep this podcast going here.
Can’t get enough of the Brave Together Podcast?
Follow our Instagram Page @wearebravetogether or on Facebook.
Feel free to contact Jessica Patay via email: jpatay@wearebravetogether.org
If you have any topic requests or if you would like to share a story, leave us a message here.
Please leave a review and rating today! We thank you in advance!
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, #165, we are discussing how to get the most out of connection circles and in general, support groups, without taking on other attendee’s pain.
In this community we are ALREADY dealing with our own tough feelings when we step into a group sharing environment and as Dr. Zoe Shaw says, in this episode, “we’re wired for protection not connection” so dealing with other people’s emotions on top of our own can feel daunting. BUT it doesn't have to feel that way and the community and sisterhood that comes with sharing and holding space for those emotions is so worth facing your own.
There are so many wisdom gems, AHA moments and tools in this episode for helping us deconstruct the emotions we feel when in the presence of other people’s pain. Please enjoy this important episode of Ask Us Anything.
Whether you have questions as a parent to a child with complex medical or mental health needs or you’re someone looking to support a care-giving parent, we would LOVE to hear from you.
If you have any topic requests or if you would like to ask a question, leave us a message here.
Find more information about Licensed Psychotherapist, Dr. Zoe Shaw here.
Find more information about Life Coach, Susanna Peace Lovell here.
Find Susanna’s book, Your True Self is Enough here.
Brave Together is the podcast for We are Brave Together, a not-for-profit organization based in the USA. The heart of We Are Brave Together is to strengthen, encourage, inspire and validate all moms of children with disabilities and other needs in their unique journeys.
JOIN the international community of We Are Brave Together here.
Donate to our Retreats and Respite Scholarships here.
Donate to keep this podcast going here.
Can’t get enough of the Brave Together Podcast?
Follow our Instagram Page @wearebravetogether or on Facebook.
Feel free to contact Jessica Patay via email: jpatay@wearebravetogether.org
If you have any topic requests or if you would like to share a story, leave us a message here.
Please leave a review and rating today! We thank you in advance!
Hello Brave Friends! On this story episode, #163, we are exploring one mom’s experience, when not one but TWO of her seemingly thriving, healthy children were diagnosed, right in the middle of high school, with a rare genetic disorder.
Megan Loden was blindsided, not only by her twin daughter’s diagnosis, but by the slow fade of her typical community into the background, as she stepped into her own medical motherhood. And then a doctor recommended she look up groups online and the rest is history.
Welcome to today's story episode: Community is Everything
Megan Loden was a freelance writer before her world was turned upside down and she would love nothing more than to help others feel less alone through her writing now, as many seasoned veterans to the rare parenting world did when she was lost and terrified of her childrens’ diagnoses. Having a child (or two) with a rare genetic disease is not for the faint of heart, but she wants to assure you, if she can manage, so can you!
Find Megan Loden on Instagram here.
Find Megan Loden’s Website here.
Brave Together is the podcast for We are Brave Together, a not-for-profit organization based in the USA. The heart of We Are Brave Together is to strengthen, encourage, inspire and validate all moms of children with disabilities and other needs in their unique journeys.
JOIN the international community of We Are Brave Together here.
Donate to our Retreats and Respite Scholarships here.
Donate to keep this podcast going here.
Can’t get enough of the Brave Together Podcast?
Follow our Instagram Page @wearebravetogether or on Facebook.
Feel free to contact Jessica Patay via email: jpatay@wearebravetogether.org
If you have any topic requests or if you would like to share a story, leave us a message here.
Please leave a review and rating today! We thank you in advance!
Hello Brave Friends! This is another 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, #162, we’re discussing how to handle the PRESSURE we feel after the holidays (while caregiving) to make resolutions and change our whole lives at the start of the year. Are we ready for this? How do we approach this thoughtfully? This episode is full of compassion and creative ideas to make the start of 2024 feel less stressful.
Whether you have questions as a parent to a child with complex medical or mental health needs or you’re someone looking to support a care-giving parent, we would LOVE to hear from you.
If you have any topic requests or if you would like to ask a question, leave us a message here.
Find more information about Life Coach, Susanna Peace Lovell here.
Find more information about Licensed Psychotherapist, Dr. Zoe Shaw here.
Brave Together is the podcast for We are Brave Together, a not-for-profit organization based in the USA. The heart of We Are Brave Together is to strengthen, encourage, inspire and validate all moms of children with disabilities and other needs in their unique journeys.
JOIN the international community of We Are Brave Together here.
Donate to our Retreats and Respite Scholarships here.
Donate to keep this podcast going here.
Can’t get enough of the Brave Together Podcast?
Follow our Instagram Page @wearebravetogether or on Facebook.
Feel free to contact Jessica Patay via email: jpatay@wearebravetogether.org
If you have any topic requests or if you would like to share a story, leave us a message here.
Please leave a review and rating today! We thank you in advance!
Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to Season 6! We are so excited to roll out another vibrant season of Story episodes, Practical episodes and Ask Us Anything episodes for YOU the caregiving mom.
In this trailer your host, Jessica Patay, reminds you what we offer as a podcast and non-profit organization, introduces Dr. Zoe Shaw (the newest co-host of the Ask Us Anything show) and even gives you a sneak peek into her year, with 9, NOT 10, of her personal resolutions. We hope you’ll join us for another uplifting, vulnerable and connecting season of Brave Together Podcast.
Find the Mel Robbins “Let Them” vid I talked about here.
Whether you have questions as a parent to a child with complex medical or mental health needs or you’re someone looking to support a care-giving parent, we would LOVE to hear from you.
If you have any topic requests or if you would like to ask a question, leave us a message here.
Brave Together is the podcast for We are Brave Together, a not-for-profit organization based in the USA. The heart of We Are Brave Together is to strengthen, encourage, inspire and validate all moms of children with disabilities and other needs in their unique journeys.
JOIN the international community of We Are Brave Together here.
Donate to our Retreats and Respite Scholarships here.
Donate to keep this podcast going here.
Can’t get enough of the Brave Together Podcast?
Follow our Instagram Page @wearebravetogether or on Facebook.
Feel free to contact Jessica Patay via email: jpatay@wearebravetogether.org
If you have any topic requests or if you would like to share a story, leave us a message here.
Please leave a review and rating today! We thank you in advance!
Hello Brave Friends! On this, our final episode of Season 5, we have such a great guest for you. Debbie Reber, who you guys probably know already, is a parenting activist, bestselling author, speaker and the CEO and founder of Tilt Parenting, a resource, top performing podcast, consultancy, and community with a focus on shifting the paradigm for parents raising and embracing neurodivergent children. Her most recent book, Differently Wired, A Parent's Guide to Raising an Atypical Child with Confidence and Hope, came out in 2018.
Debbie is a wealth of information, and I highly recommend that you check out everything that she offers and get involved in her community. If you have a child who is neurodivergent, she has lots of experts on her podcast and has educated thousands of parents. Please enjoy this comforting, warm blanket of an episode with the wonderful Debbie Reber.
Find the Tilt Parenting website here.
Find Debbie Reber’s book, Differently Wired, here.
Find the Tilt Parenting Podcast here.
Brave Together is the podcast for We are Brave Together, a not-for-profit organization based in the USA. The heart of We Are Brave Together is to strengthen, encourage, inspire and validate all moms of children with disabilities and other needs in their unique journeys.
JOIN the international community of We Are Brave Together here.
Donate to our Retreats and Respite Scholarships here.
Donate to keep this podcast going here.
Can’t get enough of the Brave Together Podcast?
Follow our Instagram Page @wearebravetogether or on Facebook.
Feel free to contact Jessica Patay via email: jpatay@wearebravetogether.org
If you have any topic requests or if you would like to share a story, leave us a message here.
Please leave a review and rating today! We thank you in advance!
Hello Brave Friends! On this story episode we are exploring the sibling experience. As caregiving parents, it’s hard to give each child the same amount of attention. The neurotypical child’s experiences growing up are often overshadowed by their sibling’s complex needs. So it’s cathartic when we get the opportunity to put a big ol’ spotlight on their experience and talk about them on our podcast.
Kendall Albrecht is a senior in high school, who goes on vacation every year with her family, including her older sister, Miranda, who has Autism Spectrum Disorder. It’s not always easy but as you will hear, always worth it in the end. Please enjoy her story, Traveling with My Sister, and our fun conversation.
Brave Together is the podcast for We are Brave Together, a not-for-profit organization based in the USA. The heart of We Are Brave Together is to strengthen, encourage, inspire and validate all moms of children with disabilities and other needs in their unique journeys.
JOIN the international community of We Are Brave Together here.
Donate to our Retreats and Respite Scholarships here.
Donate to keep this podcast going here.
Can’t get enough of the Brave Together Podcast?
Follow our Instagram Page @wearebravetogether or on Facebook.
Feel free to contact Jessica Patay via email: jpatay@wearebravetogether.org
If you have any topic requests or if you would like to share a story, leave us a message here.
Please leave a review and rating today! We thank you in advance!
Hello Brave Friends! This is another Ask Us Anything episode in which YOU, the listener, get to write or call in and, you guessed it, ASK US ANYTHING!
Today we’re discussing the topic of comparing. Whether it’s our stories, our parenting styles or our child’s outcomes, comparing, it seems, is just human nature. It’s a tool we use to identify and connect with others who are like us but can also turn competitive and ugly. How do we support and honor each other’s journey’s without feeling better or worse off than our sisters?
Whether you have questions as a parent to a child with complex medical or mental health needs or you’re someone looking to support a care-giving parent, we would LOVE to hear from you.
If you have any topic requests or if you would like to ask a question, leave us a message here.
Find more information about Life Coach, Susanna Peace Lovell here.
Find more information about Kimberly Kooy, LMFT here.
Find the UNSEEN list of ways you can support care-givers here.
Brave Together is the podcast for We are Brave Together, a not-for-profit organization based in the USA. The heart of We Are Brave Together is to strengthen, encourage, inspire and validate all moms of children with disabilities and other needs in their unique journeys.
JOIN the international community of We Are Brave Together here.
Donate to our Retreats and Respite Scholarships here.
Donate to keep this podcast going here.
Can’t get enough of the Brave Together Podcast?
Follow our Instagram Page @wearebravetogether or on Facebook.
Feel free to contact Jessica Patay via email: jpatay@wearebravetogether.org
If you have any topic requests or if you would like to share a story, leave us a message here.
Please leave a review and rating today! We thank you in advance!
Hello Brave Friends! Welcome to today's practical episode with April Rehrig. She's going to talk about strengths-based IEPs. Have you even heard of that? I don't think I'd ever heard of it until recently. It's an IEP that looks at abilities as well as weaknesses. It looks at what students CAN do, what the team wants them to do next, and how strengths might be used to set goals to help address a particular need.
April is a repeat guest because we love her and appreciate her. She's the founder of Rise Educational Advocacy and Consulting. She has over 20 years of experience as a school psychologist, teacher, and parent in the public school setting. With her, build a better IEP curriculum. April teaches parents and teachers nationwide how to successfully navigate special education from a strength based perspective.
When not passionately advocating for inclusive education, April keeps busy with her adorable pug Luna, her husband, three sons, and four stepchildren in Los Angeles, California. We really hope you get a ton out of this episode!
Find out more from April Rehrig here.
Brave Together is the podcast for We are Brave Together, a not-for-profit organization based in the USA. The heart of We Are Brave Together is to strengthen, encourage, inspire and validate all moms of children with disabilities and other needs in their unique journeys.
JOIN the international community of We Are Brave Together here.
Donate to our Retreats and Respite Scholarships here.
Donate to keep this podcast going here.
Can’t get enough of the Brave Together Podcast?
Follow our Instagram Page @wearebravetogether or on Facebook.
Hello Brave Friends! On this story episode we are exploring the vital yet (especially in our community) illusive act of taking a break.
Our storyteller is Krysten Leighty whose daughter Lana, was diagnosed with Prader-Willi syndrome, and found early on that the “go go go” mentality of the medical world was counterintuitive to her instincts, as a mother, to just stop and be present with her child.
Krysten Leighty is an artist of many talents, an ambivert, empath, a work in progress human, a partner in love and a wild mama inspired by nature and traveling the world. She is a fierce advocate for her beautiful daughter who just so happens to be rare.
JOIN the international community of We Are Brave Together here.
Donate to our Retreats and Respite Scholarships here.
Donate to keep this podcast going here.
Can’t get enough of the Brave Together Podcast?
Follow our Instagram Page @wearebravetogether or on Facebook.
Feel free to contact Jessica Patay via email: jpatay@wearebravetogether.org
If you have any topic requests or if you would like to share a story, leave us a message here.
Please leave a review and rating today! We thank you in advance!
Parenting Children with Invisible Disabilities with Lora DeMello
26:38
Making Friends from Behind the Window with Claire McMurray
37:41
A Down Syndrome Diagnosis in South Africa 30 Years Ago with Jessica Baer
26:00
We All Deserve a Dignified Place to Toilet with Jayme Betts
31:29
Diagnosis Isn't a Choice, My Martyrdom Is with Margaret Webb
33:51
How to Support my Neuro-Divergent Kid as They Blossom into a Teen
39:55
How a Caregiving Parent Became an Entrepreneur with Marna Pacheco
32:02
Walking on Eggshells with Epilepsy with Erin Rusling
29:35
What Do I Do When My Kid is Being Bullied?
23:28
The Importance and Responsibility of Adopting Children Who Have Experienced Trauma with Jenell Jones
25:26
When Severe Allergies Join the Family with Susanna Peace Lovell
41:16
When Your Spouse is Not Very Involved in Disability Caregiving
33:42
Accessing Mental Health Benefits with Natalie Elliott Handy (Part 2)
25:02
Accessing Mental Health Benefits with Natalie Elliott Handy (Part 1)
36:51
Crying on the Steps of the Regional Center with Kelley Coleman
38:36
Will A Caregiver Support Group Make Me More Depressed?
29:08
From Childhood Accident to Fierce Advocate with Kevin McGuire
37:25
Community is Everything with Megan Loden
31:06
How to Handle January Expectations When You are an Exhausted Caregiver
25:15
Welcome to Season 6 and All That I Am NOT Doing in 2024
9:40
ADHD & Honoring Your Kid's Experience with Debbie Reber
24:00
Traveling with My Sister with Kendall Albrecht
20:33
Comparison within the Disability Community
37:49
Strength-Based IEPs with April Rehrig
26:03
A Break is Necessary for Breakthroughs with Krysten Leighty
25:37