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You know your child best. The challenge is proving it in a 15-minute appointment or during morning rounds at the hospital.

In this episode, Emily talks with Amy Lamb, creator of My Health Journal, about a simple journaling system that helps caregivers track symptoms, medications, sleep, stress, and daily observations in one organized place.

When patterns are documented clearly, doctors can see what you see. That’s how Amy uncovered her mother’s misdiagnosis after years of stalled treatment.

This isn’t about perfect record-keeping. It’s about reducing mental load, easing communication with providers, and turning your instincts into usable evidence.

If you’re tired of trying to remember everything, second-guessing yourself, or leaving appointments wishing you’d said more, this conversation is for you.

As a thank you to our community, Amy is offering Empowered by Hope listeners 20% off their own My Health Journal. If this feels like a tool that could help you stay organized and confident in appointments, the discount details are listed below.

About Amy Lamb

Amy Lamb is a Certified Health and Wellness Coach with nearly 30 years of experience in the financial services industry.

Her work was shaped by her mother’s serious health crisis. After years of appointments with multiple doctors, conflicting opinions, and treatments that weren’t working, Amy began consistently tracking her mom’s symptoms, medications, nutrition, sleep, and daily changes. Clear patterns emerged — and eventually revealed a misdiagnosis.

That experience led her to create My Health Journal, a simple, structured tool designed to help caregivers and patients.

Her goal is simple: help people take control of their health story with clarity and confidence.

Learn more:
https://hereistomyhealth.com/

Purchase a journal:
https://hereistomyhealth.com/shop-1

Discount for Empowered by Hope Listeners

Use promo code PEN20 for:

20% off your purchase at
www.hereistomyhealth.com

***Sales tax and shipping apply and are automatically calculated at checkout.
Tax and shipping will vary based on location and shipping method selected.
No expiration date.

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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Some weeks call for a pause.

Last week, we were scheduled to release a new episode sharing a valuable resource for medical parents. But with everything that unfolded in our country, it felt important to step back, take a breath, and model what we so often encourage within this community: giving ourselves space and grace when things feel heavy, and allowing time to process before pressing on.

So this week, we’re revisiting a conversation from the early days of Empowered by Hope—an episode that has quietly carried many parents through dark nights. We’ll return to our planned new episodes next week.

Originally shared in February of 2023, this episode centers on a question that sits in the chest and refuses to leave when a child is hurting: Why does God allow suffering, especially when it involves our children?

For many parents, this question emerges through faith language; for others, it rises as a deeper, human longing for meaning, justice, or understanding. However it shows up for you, the weight of it is real. And in moments like the ones we’re living through now—when suffering and injustice feel overwhelming and impossible to make sense of—this question often returns.

We don’t try to fix what can’t be fixed with tidy answers. Instead, we tell the truth about fear, anger, guilt, resentment, and the moments we felt abandoned—alongside the moments we were surprised by peace.

Together, we name four anchors that actually hold:

• Rejecting shame and the reflex to blame ourselves for a diagnosis
• Leaning into a grounding truth many parents find strength in: that our children are deeply loved, and that their pain is not meaningless
• Allowing reflection or prayer—raw, repetitive, sometimes wordless—to be exactly what it is, without polishing or performance
• Practicing acceptance without agreement with suffering, so we can make clear decisions, listen for wisdom, and keep showing up for the child we adore

If you’ve ever stood in a hospital hallway and wondered how to walk back into a room full of beeps and worry, this episode offers presence over platitudes, honesty over explanations, and space to face the full breadth of your emotions without judgment.

Sometimes hope begins not with answers, but with the relief of not holding it all by ourselves.

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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January on Empowered by Hope is dedicated to something we talk about often but live out imperfectly: self-care. Or, as we prefer to name it in medical-parent reality, self-preservation — the small, necessary choices that allow us to be the parent advocates we want and need to be.

This episode opens with a deeply personal conversation as we honor Emily K. Whiting, our incredible co-founder of Parent Empowerment Network and co-host of Empowered by Hope. Emily shares her decision to pause her formal role with the organization and the podcast in order to focus fully on her family and the ongoing complex medical needs that first inspired both PEN and this podcast.

This is not an ending. It’s a season.

We name a hard truth with compassion: when hospital days, surgeries, advocacy, and parenting stack up, something has to give. Choosing family does not mean abandoning a mission — sometimes it means protecting it in a different way. Emily’s decision reflects the very values PEN was built on: discernment, courage, faith, and honoring what each season requires.

From there, we zoom out to the larger story you helped build. What began as a kitchen-table idea has grown into a global community across 18 countries. We revisit why being diagnosis-agnostic matters, why undiagnosed families must always feel fully included, and how that commitment led to one of our proudest outcomes: connecting Hardikar families worldwide, supporting expanded research cohorts, published guidance, and a first-ever family gathering. It’s one powerful example of what happens when determined moms, loving families, caregivers, and clinicians move together — faster answers, clearer direction, and a quieter kind of hope that lasts.

In true Emily & Ashlyn fashion, this episode offers listeners powerful takeaways as we get practical. If “self-care” feels like another impossible task, we rename it self-preservation: being honest with ourselves about what must be prioritized right now and what might need to be paused or tabled for a season. The mission continues with open hands.

Expect more empowering and honest conversations with medical parents who truly understand, trusted subject-matter experts and credible voices diving into the topics you’ve asked for, shared resources that make the journey a little lighter, and plenty of love, laughter, and support — the same steady presence this community is built on.

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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New year energy can feel fraudulent when you’re parenting through hospital stays, procedures, and constant logistics. We’re trading perfection for something truer: a simple ritual to release what hurts and a short list of keepers that actually help us breathe, love, and carry on. No grand resolutions, no reinvention—just small, honest choices that hold up under real life.

We start with a plate-smashing ritual—yes, really—to mark what we’re done carrying: self-depletion, people-pleasing, and the belief that unconditional love demands self-abandonment. Then we move to what stays. Laughter on purpose, curated so it finds us even on hard days. Childlike wonder that turns clouds, stars, and tiny flowers into quick routes back to calm. Ten minutes of morning prayer for alignment when the schedule is anything but predictable. Deep breathing to reset a nervous system trained by years of fight-or-flight. A phone in the “peace and presence” basket so feeding, rocking, and bedtime become connection instead of multitasking. And self-advocacy—asking for what we need from care teams and our circle without apology.

Along the way we reframe mistakes with grace. You can name a misstep and still honor your heart. Own it, repair, and try again. That stance—gentle and steady—makes space for gratitude to grow, even in grief. We talk practical tools for caregivers of medically complex kids, from boundary-setting to micro-rest, and how to build a more regulated baseline without pretending life is easy. This is trauma-aware, faith-rooted, and deeply human.

If this conversation gave you breath or language for your own reset, follow and share it with another caregiver who needs hope. Subscribe, leave a review, and email us your “leave behind” and “keepers”—we’d love to hear what goes on your plate and what you’ll carry forward.

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
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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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This open conversation between co-hosts, Emily & Ashlyn, offers clear language, practical insight, and zero judgment for parents, caregivers, and anyone walking the tightrope of medical advocacy and family life.

What changes when the caregiver’s well-being becomes the foundation of the family—not an afterthought squeezed into the margins? We dig into the real-world difference between mental well-being (clear thinking, decision-making, stress management) and emotional well-being (awareness, regulation, expression), and show how both systems work together when you’re navigating complex care, hospital stays, and the relentless logistics of raising a medically complex child.

We share a raw, honest arc—from coasting on grit to running on fumes—and the moment a therapist reframed anxiety through the lens of modeling. Kids don’t just hear our words; they absorb our state. When we pause to name feelings, set a 20-minute boundary for a solo walk, or ask for help before we explode, we’re teaching emotional regulation in real time. That’s not selfish; it’s skill transmission that lifts the whole household. You’ll hear why survival mode makes “take care of yourself” feel impossible, how delayed processing can hit when the fires calm, and how grace—not guilt—creates the space to refuel without apology.

We connect the dots between caregiver health, fewer blow-ups, better decisions, calmer hospital interactions, and a higher quality of life for every member of the family. We also point you to a companion blog with expanded reasons and resources, plus a preview of our next chapter on the “how” of making change stick in a busy, unpredictable reality.

If this resonated, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs it, and leave a quick review to help other caregivers find these tools. Tell us: what’s one small refuel you can commit to this week?

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
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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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A powerful new anthem is available for parents walking the complex medical journey with their children. Emily Whiting sits down with singer-songwriter Gina Brooklyn to unveil "Through Every Storm," a song created specifically for the Parent Empowerment Network community that captures the heartache, hope, and profound love that defines raising a medically complex child.

The song's journey began over a year ago when Gina, moved by the mission of supporting parents through medical complexity, set out to transform Emily's heartfelt words into music. "Every second, every moment that I get to love you is such a gift," begins the lyrical journey that acknowledges both the privilege and pain of loving a child through medical challenges. What makes this collaboration uniquely powerful is how it balances hopeful realism – neither glossing over struggles nor surrendering to despair.

In a surprising twist of providence, shortly after writing this song for others, Gina found herself battling serious health challenges of her own. Following a severe COVID infection, she received diagnoses of POTS, mast cell activation disease, and hereditary alpha tryptasemia – experiences that brought new depth to lyrics like "If it rains or if it pours, His love will carry you through every storm." Gina vulnerably shares this personal journey, revealing how her own medical complexity has deepened her connection to the song's message.

"Through Every Storm" releases in late August, with 50% of all proceeds directly supporting Parent Empowerment Network's mission. A beautiful music video featuring Charlotte and Emery will follow on YouTube. Whether you're sitting at a NICU bedside, up at 2 AM with a child in pain, or simply needing a reminder that you're not alone, this song offers a musical sanctuary where weary parents can find rest. Download it, share it, and let it carry you through your own storms – while helping us continue supporting families just like yours.

Links to view and download "Every Storm": https://lynkify.in/song/through-every-storm/jD2JXqMe

YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQ0BRnPv7nM

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

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When you’re caring for a medically complex child, you need help—but it’s overwhelming and exhausting to field the constant “Let me know how I can help,” “Just call me if you need anything,” or “What can I do for you?” messages. The decision fatigue for parents in crisis is grueling. We desperately need the help, but our supporters need a clear path that empowers them to actually be helpful.

That’s why Ashlyn sat down with Jordan Arogeti, co-founder of Support Now, to share a free support registry every family needs to know about. Most of us are already juggling donation platforms, blogs, group texts, social media pages for updates, and meal train sign-ups… but what if all your needs—meals, childcare, fundraising, prayer requests, volunteer help, and more—could live in one customizable, evolving registry? Hallelujah.

Support Now is built to be supporter-led, giving your friends and family a clear path to help. They can see exactly what you need, choose how they want to contribute, and adapt as your family’s needs change—all without adding to your plate. Unlike tools that fizzle out after a few weeks, the registry is designed for sustainable, long-term support during the toughest seasons.

This conversation is personal. Ashlyn was introduced to Jordan by PEN Board Member Abby Zachritz (aka Advocacy Abby), Support Now’s Director of Family Advocacy. Together, they’re making it easier to rally your “village” in real life, not just on social media.

If you’ve ever felt the weight of being asked “What can I do?” when you’re too exhausted to answer, this episode is for you. Hear why Parent Empowerment Network wants every family to know about this life-changing resource—and how Support Now is transforming the way communities show up for each other.

Resources from this episode:

https://www.supportnow.org/

Jordan's TEDx Talk: https://www.supportnow.org/

Support Languages Quiz: https://www.supportlanguages.com/

Advocacy Abby: https://www.advocacyabby.com

Connect - Database for Medical Expense Grants: https://grants.supportnow.org/

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

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The journey of caring for a child with rare disease or complex medical needs often leaves parents and caregivers isolated in their experience. While friends and family genuinely want to help, many struggle with knowing how to truly support without overstepping or saying the wrong thing.

Amy (Board) Bradford brings her decades of experience working with rare disease communities to share powerful, actionable strategies for supporting caregivers effectively. This conversation goes beyond the typical "let me know if you need anything" platitudes to provide specific ways supporters can take meaningful initiative.

The episode reveals three foundational approaches that can transform how we show up for caregivers: first, taking time to learn the specialized medical language of a condition rather than expecting caregivers to constantly educate; second, remembering to ask about the caregiver's emotional experience rather than focusing exclusively on the child's medical journey; and third, creatively adapting environments and activities to be more inclusive without burdening families with all the planning.

As Amy shares from her experience running camps for children with bleeding disorders, "We instilled in our staff that this was a week that we would never say no to our children." This philosophy of creative problem-solving and adaptation offers a powerful model for how supporters can reframe their thinking to create more inclusive experiences.

Whether you're a friend, family member, or community supporter looking to make a meaningful difference in a caregiver's life, or if you're a caregiver wanting to help your support circle understand how to better show up for you, this episode provides the language and practical steps to strengthen these crucial connections. Send this episode to someone in your support circle today – no explanation needed.

About Amy (Board) Bradford: Amy is an accomplished patient engagement leader and global storyteller with the proven ability to build unwavering patient community connections in complex environments. She is the Director of Patient Engagement of Believe Limited, an agency dedicated to the Rare Disease, Health and Wellness, and Patient Connection and Community space.

Believe Limited, The Patient People: https://www.believeltd.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