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As parents of children with complex medical needs, our hearts often ache with worry about our other children. Are they getting enough attention? Will they feel less important? Do they resent their sibling's conditions? These questions haunt us during late-night hospital stays and therapy appointments.

What we rarely discuss, though, is the remarkable beauty that emerges in these siblings' lives. Through heartwarming stories like seven-year-old Nora proudly telling her class about her sister's rare condition on Rare Disease Day, or Cole developing an extraordinary voice at a young age, we discover the gifts hidden within our challenging journeys.

Ashlyn & Ashley share their personal experiences raising both medically complex and typically developing children, revealing how these siblings develop profound empathy, advocacy skills, problem-solving abilities, and perspective far beyond their years. They discuss the importance of taking off what they call the "Sherlock Holmes hat" – that constant problem-solving mode parents develop – so that we parents can simply enjoy our children and create meaningful connections through small moments like car rides or special traditions.

Perhaps most striking is the resilience these children show. Despite hospital stays that separate families and the inevitable imbalance of attention, these siblings often demonstrate remarkable forgiveness, adaptability, and joy. They remind us that children have an extraordinary capacity to live in the moment and find happiness within challenging circumstances.

This conversation offers hope that while your family's path may look different than imagined, your children are developing unique strengths through challenges most families never face. Your "typical" children aren't just surviving this experience - with your love and attention to their needs, they're thriving in ways that will serve them throughout their lives.

Recommended Resources:

Supporting the Siblings with Wendy Plant, PhD - Excellent webinar for parents presented by Courageous Parents Network

Courageous Parents Network: Sibling Support

Child Life on Call: Supporting Siblings: How Child Life Specialists Can Help

We kindly ask that you share this podcast with other families who might benefit from our insights and support. Additionally, please take a brief moment to leave a review on your preferred podcast platform, which helps us to reach as many families as possible who are navigating this challenging journey, so they can find our support circle and access the assistance they rightfully deserve. No one should walk this journey alone.

To get more personal support, connect with us directly at:
https://parentempowermentnetwork.org

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Join the Parent Empowerment Network Community of Hope
Get your copy of She is Charlotte: A Mother’s Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Journey with Her Child with Medical Complexities by Emily K Whiting on Amazon

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Every parent of a medically complex child wonders: Will my child grow up knowing how deeply they are loved? Will they appreciate how hard I fought for them? In this episode, we bring you a powerful answer straight from someone who’s been there.

Annelise Frazier, born with a rare and complex medical condition, shares her story of growing up with surgeries, complications, and hospital stays—but more importantly, growing up surrounded by love. She reflects on the biggest gift her parents gave her: they loved her so boldly and advocated so fiercely that she never felt different or defined by her diagnosis. Instead, she felt like a kid—just a kid—who was deeply cherished.

For parents in the thick of this journey, this episode is a glimpse into the future—a message of reassurance that your child will remember the love more than the fear, the joy more than the hardships. Annelise’s perspective will remind you that your love and advocacy are not just necessary, but transformative.

Join Ashlyn & Ashley for this heartwarming conversation that will uplift and encourage you to keep going, keep loving, and keep believing in the beautiful life ahead for your child. *Spoiler, Annelise has the same condition as Ashlyn & Ashley's daughters!

Make sure to subscribe, share your thoughts with us, and connect with our community—we are all in this together!

Annelise Frazier is a small town bookstore owner diagnosed with Classic Bladder Exstrophy, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and Mast Cell Activation. She has been chronically ill since birth, but does not let that define her. She loves reading romance novels, baking allergy friendly treats, spending time with her family and raising her pet cat Fig and rescue Border Collie, Hollie. When not at her bookstore, she and her husband enjoy traveling the country searching for the greatest history museums. Annelise has spoken out for children with disabilities at many conferences and intends on using her background in medical research to provide a safe space for all those struggling with the daily life of medical complexities.

Shop & Support Annelise: Pig City Books

Bookstore Website: https://www.pigcitybooks.com/

Online Bookstore: https://bookshop.org/shop/pigcitybooks

Online Audiobook membership:

We kindly ask that you share this podcast with other families who might benefit from our insights and support. Additionally, please take a brief moment to leave a review on your preferred podcast platform, which helps us to reach as many families as possible who are navigating this challenging journey, so they can find our support circle and access the assistance they rightfully deserve. No one should walk this journey alone.

To get more personal support, connect with us directly at:
https://parentempowermentnetwork.org

Facebook: Parent Empowerment Network
Instagram: ParentEmpowermentNetwork
Join the Parent Empowerment Network Community of Hope
Get your copy of She is Charlotte: A Mother’s Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Journey with Her Child with Medical Complexities by Emily K Whiting on Amazon

Send us a text, we want to hear from you!

Leah Darrow, renowned public speaker and mindset coach, joins Emily Whiting on the Empowered by Hope podcast to share her inspiring journey from faith-based public speaking to impactful mindset coaching. As mothers with children facing complex medical challenges, Leah and I connect deeply over our shared experiences in balancing personal passions with the demands of family life. Through her programs like Power Made Perfect and Motivated Mompreneur, Leah sheds light on how a Christ-centered approach can empower individuals to thrive and overcome life's obstacles.

Leah opens up about the crucial role mindset training played during her time in the NICU, both for herself and her son. Drawing from a decade of personal development and unwavering faith, she demonstrates how mindset practices can become second nature in times of crisis.

Mindset Practices:

• Let go of what you cannot control - write down what you can control and focus on that
• Your energy and your words matter - choose words of hope
• Do not try to go back to the life you had before
• Practice forgiveness and radical mercy, for yourself and others

Her story is a testament to resilience and the transformative power of focusing on what we can control, offering guidance to anyone grappling with intense emotional and physical challenges.

This episode emphasizes the strength found in community support, reminding us that by coming together, we can navigate life's challenges with grace and hope. Join us as we encourage each other to extend mercy to ourselves and others, fostering resilience and embracing change to build a brighter future.

Leah Darrow is a mindset coach, speaker, and mom of seven who helps women transform their lives through personal growth and faith. As the host of The Leah Darrow Podcast and creator of Power Made Perfect, Leah empowers women to live intentionally and unlock their God-given potential. Connect with her on Instagram @leah.darrow or at leahdarrow.com.

We kindly ask that you share this podcast with other families who might benefit from our insights and support. Additionally, please take a brief moment to leave a review on your preferred podcast platform, which helps us to reach as many families as possible who are navigating this challenging journey, so they can find our support circle and access the assistance they rightfully deserve. No one should walk this journey alone.

To get more personal support, connect with us directly at:
https://parentempowermentnetwork.org

Facebook: Parent Empowerment Network
Instagram: ParentEmpowermentNetwork
Join the Parent Empowerment Network Community of Hope
Get your copy of She is Charlotte: A Mother’s Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Journey with Her Child with Medical Complexities by Emily K Whiting on Amazon