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young disabled boy in his wheelchair looking out at his yard with a smile. looking toward the future with a child with disabilities

Future Vs Now: Our Vision for Charlie

The Fine Balance of Looking Toward the Future and Living in the Moment Late one Saturday night as I was rearranging bicycles and boxes and rakes yet again in the garage so the doors wouldn’t freak out and refuse to close, my husband held his phone under my nose and said, “Look at this one.”… Continue reading Future Vs Now: Our Vision for Charlie

Jamie Sumner
female doctor kneeling in hospital hallway and handing a red balloon to a young cancer patient. demonstrating the importance of empathy in healthcare.

Why Empathy in Healthcare Matters

I will never forget the call I received on the evening of September 18, 2019. Noah, the son of dear family friends, was taken for an emergent MRI due to concerning symptoms he had developed over the previous weeks. It was on this call that I received the news that the MRI showed Noah had… Continue reading Why Empathy in Healthcare Matters

Mikaela Morris, RD
mother of two teenage children looking worried as children ignore her to play on their phones. phone addiction in children.

Phone Addiction: Helping Our Children Put Their Phones Down

Facts: our children are glued to their screens. As parents, we see this, we know this, and at times it’s easier not to fight it. How many times have you asked your teen to put down their phone while you are trying to have a conversation? How many times have you heard, “Just let me… Continue reading Phone Addiction: Helping Our Children Put Their Phones Down

Dr. Liz Matheis

Fostering Medically Fragile Children

Driven by their shared calling and desire to make a difference beyond the hospital walls, Victor and Carol, made a life-altering decision to foster.

Jessie Varela, RDN, LDN
mother leans over and gently confronts teen daughter who is sitting in front of her school work playing on her phone. how to stop being the people pleasing parent.

How to Stop Being the People-Pleasing Parent

As parents, many of us are ready to listen for and read the body cues of our children to anticipate their needs. Part of this is perfectly normal. We grew these little people inside our bodies and have agreed to raise them until they are fully-grown creatures who are able to make their own decisions… Continue reading How to Stop Being the People-Pleasing Parent

Dr. Liz Matheis
anxious girl sitting in the back of a middle school classroom, with her head in her hand. Managing post Covid long anxiety in our children

Guiding Our Children Through Post-Covid Long Anxiety

Here we are, almost 3 years post the COVID-19 virus pandemic that shut down our world instantly and provided new perspective about many of the parts of life that we took for granted. We temporarily lost the freedom to leave our home without protection or worry, to freely interact with others, and to move around… Continue reading Guiding Our Children Through Post-Covid Long Anxiety

Dr. Liz Matheis
helping your empathetic child manage big feelings. mother comforting son with his head in his hands.

Helping Your Empathic Child Manage Big Feelings

I don’t know about you, but in my house, my children and I feel BIG. As an empath who has 3 empathic children, our interactions and emotional experiences are a bit more intense than most. Dr. Judy Orloff defines an empathic person as one who is deeply in tune with the feelings of others in… Continue reading Helping Your Empathic Child Manage Big Feelings

Dr. Liz Matheis
boy in wheelchair in skating rink. nothing lasts, that doesn't mean it's not worth doing.

It Was Good While It Lasted

Nothing lasts. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth doing. All my twins wanted for their ninth birthday was a party at the skate center. They begged me. They bribed me (with gummy worms I purchased for them at Walgreens). They promised to clean their room forever. I grew up having parties at the very same… Continue reading It Was Good While It Lasted

Jamie Sumner
nutritional support for children with developmental delay

Nutritional Support for Children with Developmental Delays

Note for Healthcare Professionals: Have you recently diagnosed or treated a patient with developmental delay or several delays? As part of a treatment plan, you may be asking your patient’s caregivers to closely monitor the child’s nutrition intake. Below is an explanation of what to expect, geared towards families of a newly-diagnosed child. You have… Continue reading Nutritional Support for Children with Developmental Delays

Sheila Mihalik
busting the myth of summer

Busting the Myth of Summer

I was this many years old when I realized the saying is “you’ve got another think coming,” not “you’ve got another thing coming.” Did you know this? Did everyone but me know this? I felt like I’d been walking around in an inside out shirt for decades. It’s like singing the lyrics to your favorite… Continue reading Busting the Myth of Summer

Jamie Sumner
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