Trauma Mamas: Beyond the Bedside

#1: Introducing Beyond The Bedside!

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2431162/fan_mail/new] This week on Trauma Mamas: Beyond the Bedside, Alison and new cohost Danielle Sullivan introduce this new chapter of the podcast and share what “beyond the bedside” truly means in their everyday lives as moms raising medically complex children. In this special intro episode, Danielle gives listeners a glimpse into the logistics of life at home with Cora — from the routines and realities of managing a “mini ICU” at home, to finding ways to create normalcy, comfort, and joy in the middle of medical complexity. She also shares why she decided to join Alison on this journey and what she hopes this podcast can bring to families walking similar paths. Both Alison and Danielle share their personal “why” behind creating this space, their hopes for the future of the podcast, and practical insight into balancing the clinical side of caregiving while still making home feel like home. This episode is structured as two personal monologues, offering an honest and intimate look into life beyond the hospital walls.

Q+A-Getting to Know the Hosts: Meet Danielle

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2431162/fan_mail/new] Danielle and I sit down for a fun Q+A so you can get to know us a little better. We asked each other questions about motherhood, life outside the hospital, and the experiences that shaped us and this podcast — things like, “What’s the most medical mom thing you’ve ever done?”, “What does this podcast mean to you?”, and "When did you start to feel like yourself again?" There are tons of laughs, some deep moments, and, as always, a lot of honesty as we begin this new chapter of Trauma Mamas: Beyond the Bedside. I’m so excited to officially welcome Danielle as my new cohost, and I can’t wait for you all to follow along with us this season. 💛

#26: You Weren't Expecting to Learn How to Survive in the NICU- with Danielle Sullivan

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2431162/fan_mail/new] In this episode, we sit down with Danielle Sullivan to talk about what it really looks like to survive the NICU — not just physically being there, but mentally and emotionally enduring the unknown. After a long and difficult fertility journey, Danielle welcomed her daughter, Cora, at 24 weeks. What followed was a 477-day NICU stay, a diagnosis of severe chronic lung disease (BPD), and the reality of bringing home a child with a tracheostomy and ventilator. Danielle shares what it’s like to live in constant uncertainty — navigating fear, high-anxiety moments, and medical decisions without always having clear answers. She opens up about coping through hypervigilance and organization, and the toll that takes over time. We also talk about the mental weight medical parents carry — the guilt, the comparison, and the pressure to do everything “right.” Danielle shares one of the most powerful lessons from her journey: being a “better” parent won’t make your child heal faster or meet milestones sooner. She speaks candidly about the importance of therapy during her daughter’s ICU stay, and the process of unlearning the belief that control could change outcomes. Instead, she found strength in learning to be present, advocate, and slowly release that weight. This episode is for parents in the middle of it — navigating uncertainty, trying to hold it together, and learning how to care for themselves while caring for their child. You weren’t expecting to learn how to survive the NICU… but somehow, you do. 💛

#25: You Weren’t Expecting to Make a Positive Impact: with Bobbi of T-Rex Little Lungs Foundation

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2431162/fan_mail/new] In this week’s episode, I’m joined by Bobbi Kline — a fellow BPD mom who just gets it. We talk about the honest realities of raising boys with bronchopulmonary dysplasia, the kind of medical mom banter that doesn’t require explanation, and what it looks like now that our kids are growing up and doing better than we ever imagined. From sending them to preschool to learning how to let go a little after years of hospital living and 24/7 high alert, we reflect on what it means to find your footing again. Bobbi shares her traumatic birth experience with severe preeclampsia that led to heart failure, the heartbreak of transferring her son Thomas far from her other children, and the uncertainty her family carried during that season. Thomas required a tracheostomy and ventilator to come home — and today, he almost needs neither. We also dive into the gaps in care for children with severe BPD and tracheostomies, the lack of resources many families face, and the practical side of advocacy. Bobbi shares why educating yourself on your child’s diagnosis can be just as important as advocating in the room — and how that mindset helped shape Thomas’ outcome. Bobbi is also the founder of T. Rex Little Lungs, a foundation based in Idaho [chatgpt://generic-entity?number=0] that supports trach families both in the hospital and transitioning home. The organization connects families, fills critical care gaps, and provides financial assistance for essential equipment that insurance often won’t cover. This episode is for the mom who is in the thick of it — wondering what the future might look like — and not realizing yet that she’s already making a positive impact.

#24: You Weren't Expecting to Start The Cuddle Foundation: with Essie

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2431162/fan_mail/new] In this episode, I’m joined by NICU mom and advocate Essie Weiss, founder of The Cuddle Foundation—a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring NICU babies are held when families can’t always be at the bedside. Essie shares how her own NICU experience inspired a mission to bring trained volunteer cuddlers into hospitals across the country. We talk about why physical touch and kangaroo care are so critical for NICU babies, including benefits like improved heart rate and breathing regulation, better oxygenation, reduced stress, brain development support, and improved growth and outcomes. Essie also opens up about her daughter Elizabeth’s medical journey. After a short NICU stay, Elizabeth was diagnosed with a severe staph infection that led to osteomyelitis and multicystic encephalomalacia. Essie walks us through what those diagnoses meant, the challenges Elizabeth faced, and how finding the right support—particularly through the Family Hope Center—became a turning point in her development. Through therapy, education, and the power of neuroplasticity, Elizabeth began overcoming obstacles that once felt impossible. This episode is a powerful conversation about advocacy, faith, healing through connection, and how one mom turned trauma into meaningful change for families everywhere.