Inside the Children's Hospital

What does life really look like after a child receives a kidney transplant? Many people think transplant is the end of the journey—but for families, it's often just the beginning.
This week's guest, Lyndsey Fedorko, returns to the podcast to share the next chapter of her son James's medical journey—life after a kidney transplant. After years of dialysis, hospitalizations, and uncertainty, James received a life-saving kidney transplant from his aunt, marking the beginning of a new season for their family.
Lyndsey and Katie reflect on the intense months surrounding transplant surgery, including relocating their family to Houston, navigating the transplant workup process, and the emotional weight of waiting while two surgeries—donor and recipient—happened at the same time. Lyndsey shares what recovery really looked like, from the long hospital stay caused by a rare complication to the daily routines required to protect James's new kidney.
Lyndsey shares openly about the ongoing care James still needs, including medications, monitoring for rejection, therapies, and the unexpected challenges that came after transplant—including a rejection episode that required intensive treatments.
If you've ever wondered what life after pediatric transplant truly looks like, this conversation offers an honest and hopeful look at resilience, advocacy, and the power of family support.
We extend our sincere gratitude to our sponsor for this episode, Gebauer PainEase®. We are pleased to provide more information about this product, and we invite you to learn more by visiting their website.
Resources & Ways to Connect:
Connect with Lyndsey
Children's Transplant Initiative
Provides housing and support for families traveling for pediatric transplant care.
IROC (Improving Renal Outcomes Collaborative)- Support and Educational Resources for families navigating pediatirc Kidney Transplants
Connect with us! 
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Medical information provided is not a substitute for professional advice—please consult your care team.
Keywords: pediatric kidney transplant, life after transplant child, dialysis in children, kidney disease in kids, transplant rejection treatment, pediatric transplant recovery, living donor kidney transplant, children's transplant initiative housing, transplant parent story, caring for medically complex child, pediatric kidney failure journey, transplant family support, child life coping tools, parenting through pediatric illness.

This week's guests, perinatal mental health therapists Emily Souder and Mahaley Patel, share the story behind their book Your NICU Story: Reflecting on Your Family's Experience—a guided journal created to help families process the emotional impact of a NICU stay. Mahaley also opens up about her daughter, Sachi, who died after a NICU stay, and how storytelling and narrative healing became a lifeline in her grief.
She and Emily talk with Katie about why so many NICU parents carry trauma long after discharge and how writing your story can help families reconnect with what they experienced. They also discuss the emotional weight of making medical decisions during a NICU stay, the importance of compassionate healthcare providers, and why healing sometimes begins months or even years later.
If you've ever struggled to process a NICU experience—or wondered how to revisit it in a way that feels safe and meaningful—this conversation offers powerful insight and hope. Emily and Mahaley's biggest message? Your story deserves space, compassion, and time—and reflecting on it can be an important step toward healing.
We extend our sincere gratitude to our sponsor for this episode, Gebauer PainEase®. We are pleased to provide more information about this product, and we invite you to learn more by visiting their website.
Resources & Ways to Connect:
Book: Your NICU Story: Reflecting on Your Family's Experience
Available wherever books are sold, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and local bookstores.
Emily Souder, LMFT, PMH-C
Website 
Instagram
Mahaley Patel, LMFT, PMH-C
Instagram
Connect & Support from Child Life On Call:
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Medical information provided is not a substitute for professional advice—please consult your care team.
 
Keywords: NICU trauma, healing after NICU, NICU parent mental health, NICU journaling prompts, birth trauma support, NICU loss support, perinatal mental health therapist, processing NICU experience, life after NICU discharge, NICU storytelling, guided journal for NICU parents, neonatal intensive care support, grief after NICU, NICU parent resources

What happens when your child shares something that shifts the future you thought you understood?
 
In this episode of Inside the Children's Hospital, Katie sits down with Kelly Kemp — certified child life specialist of more than 30 years and mom of three — to talk about navigating trust, grief, advocacy, and love after her child was diagnosed with gender dysphoria and came out as transgender.
 
Kelly shares:
The phone call that changed everything

Navigating substance use and mental health concerns

Grieving privately while choosing love publicly

Rebuilding trust with her child

Supporting siblings during a major transition

Setting boundaries with extended family

Finding affirming medical and mental health care

Holding faith and parenting together during uncertainty

This conversation is not about politics. It is about parenting inside a medical diagnosis. It is about trust. It is about grief that doesn't mean rejection. And it is about the steady, protective love that children need — especially when the world feels loud.
Whether your child is navigating a medical diagnosis, identity development, or a season you didn't anticipate, this episode will remind you:
Grief and love can coexist.
Trust is foundational.
And your child still needs you.
Resources & Crisis Support:
 
The Trevor Project: Providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people.

Call: 1-866-488-7386

Text: START to 678-678

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: For mental health crises in the US.

Free Mom Hugs

WPath (World Professional Association for Transgender Health)

The Trans Family Alliance

Please note: Some organizations have private social media groups. For more information on those, you are welcome to private message Kelly Kemp.

 
Connect & Support from Child Life On Call:
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Medical information provided is not a substitute for professional advice—please consult your care team.

How do you help a child respond when someone asks about a scar, burn, or limb difference?
This week's guest, Abby Horton, opens up about her journey as a Child Life Specialist working across ICU, burn, surgical, rehab, and inpatient settings—and how those experiences shaped the way she supports families navigating physical differences. From sudden trauma and accidents to limb differences, burn injuries, surgical scars, and hair loss from chemotherapy, Abby shares how parents can gently empower their children to own their story with confidence.
She and Katie discuss simple, age-appropriate scripts that help children respond to questions about their bodies. Abby explains why modeling these conversations early matters, how to give kids space to answer for themselves, and why curiosity from peers is often just that—curiosity, not cruelty.
If you've ever wondered how to help your child respond to stares, questions, or comments about a physical difference, this conversation offers practical tools and deep reassurance. Abby's biggest message? You're probably doing better than you think—and it's not about having perfect words, but about helping your child feel loved and supported.
Today's Episode is sponsored by Moog Medical. Moog Medical is a trusted leader in infusion and enteral feeding technology, designing reliable, easy-to-use pumps that support safe, precise care for patients with complex medical needs—at home and in healthcare settings.
Resources & Ways to Connect:
Website: Little Lighthouses Child Life Services
Instagram: @littlelighthouseschildlife
Abby offers virtual support for families navigating physical differences, medical transitions, and post-hospital adjustment.
Connect & Support from Child Life On Call:
Subscribe: Never miss an episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.



Visit insidethechildrenshospital.com to search stories and episodes easily



Follow us on Instagram for updates and opportunities to connect with other parents



Download SupportSpot: receive Child Life tools at your fingertips.



Leave a Review: It helps other families find us and access our resources!

Medical information provided is not a substitute for professional advice—please consult your care team.
 
Keywords: physical differences in children, limb difference support, burn survivor child, surgical scars in kids, hair loss from chemotherapy, child life specialist, five cent story, five dollar story, resilience in children, bullying vs curiosity, parenting medically complex child, body confidence in kids, hospital to home transition, psychosocial support for families, sibling advocacy, Little Lighthouses Child Life

This week's guest opens up about the shock of an emergency C-section at 25 weeks and 3 days, the fear of entering the NICU for the first time, and the powerful role Child Life Specialists played in supporting not only Vincent, but their entire family, including his older brother. She reflects on what helped her cope during long NICU days, how she advocated for herself using her healthcare background, and what she wishes she had known about the "medically complex" label sooner.
This episode explores sibling bonding in the NICU, the impact of a truly integrated care team, the importance of addressing social determinants of health, and how resilience can grow in the smallest of patients. Anna's story is a beautiful reminder that families may not remember every name—but they will always remember how they were made to feel.
Today's Episode is sponsored by Moog Medical. Moog Medical is a trusted leader in infusion and enteral feeding technology, designing reliable, easy-to-use pumps that support safe, precise care for patients with complex medical needs—at home and in healthcare settings.
Resources Mentioned Today's Episode:
Hand to Hold
March of Dimes
Ronald McDonald House
Caringbridge
Connect with Anna: Anna is open to connecting with other NICU families—please email us at [email protected] if you would like to connect with her!
Connect & Support from Child Life On Call:
Subscribe: Never miss an episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.



Visit insidethechildrenshospital.com to search stories and episodes easily



Follow us on Instagram for updates and opportunities to connect with other parents



Download SupportSpot: receive Child Life tools at your fingertips.



Leave a Review: It helps other families find us and access our resources!

Medical information provided is not a substitute for professional advice—please consult your care team.
Keywords: micro preemie, NICU journey, 25 week preemie, medically complex child, chronic lung disease in children, antepartum hospitalization, emergency C-section, sibling support in NICU, child life specialist, Ronald McDonald House, Hand to Hold, March of Dimes, NICU discharge, parenting after the NICU, medical motherhood, resilience in children, premature birth support, Midwest NICU mom