The Exceptional Caregivers Life

Posted byAbPosted inADHD, adoption, FASD, gratitude, ParentingTags:, , , , ,

I’m excited to share that a podcast I worked on has launched!

The Exceptional Caregivers Life features real and compassionate conversations about the highs and lows of caring for individuals with disabilities and complex needs.

Created by Surrey Place’s Family Advisory Council and hosted by members Liz Phipps and Wendy Robertson, our podcast features stories of successes and challenges – of finding joy, hope, humour, respite and community to keep going on a journey that is often hard, exhausting and isolating.

Our pilot season features lived experiences with caring for individuals of all ages with autism, down syndrome, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, Emanuel Syndrome, medical fragility and other complex needs.

Listen to our trailer:

Listen to Episode 1: Finding Your Community

Free time is almost non existent in my life, but volunteering for the Family Advisory Council the last two years has been rewarding.

It’s a way to give back to Surrey Place, an amazing organization that has helped our family and T with incredible services since he was 18 months old.

And it’s a way to do my part to advocate.

I took a behind-the-scenes project lead role for the podcast because I saw it as a creative challenge and a great way to help advocate for T, FASD and the disabilities community.

Stories create awareness, empathy and inspire action. I am hopeful our podcast will do our part to contribute to the larger whole.

It was a joy working with fellow council members to brainstorm ideas and outline episodes, with production company Lead Podcasting on recording and post production, and with Surrey Place’s marketing team on the communications plan.

I also appear on a later episode this season, “Feeling Gratitude in Your Hardship.”

I learned a lot through this project – and got to exercise my journalism and communications muscles.

But the core reason I took this challenge on was T.

Every bit of awareness and advocacy for FASD goes a long way. I’m just one person but I know every contribution makes a difference.

I hope you tune into our podcast and if you do, let us know what you think! 😊🙏

38 thoughts on “The Exceptional Caregivers Life”

  1. Pingback: This Grateful Heart – My Life With T

  4. This is great news, Ab! I really admire your spirit and energy to give back to the community. The older I get, the more I realize the importance of advocacy, especially in things most people are still unaware of. Just the other week I told a coworker during lunch break how in the past I judged kids who behave badly. But after learning about FASD from your blog posts, I try to be less judging and more compassionate.

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    1. Thanks Bama! 😊 I think doing our own parts to help raise awareness matters. You’re a great example of how someone on the opposite side of the world now knows a little bit more about FASD. Thanks for sharing this conversation with your coworker. It made my smile. 😊

      By the way, some kids are just natural assholes. Doesn’t always have to do with FASD. 😂😂😂

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  5. Congrats Ab!! The podcast sounds like a great way to share stories and experiences and is a good way to reinforce that no one is alone in this parenting journey. My brother-in-law and his wife have a child with autism and are always looking for advice and support, so I’ll have to pass this along to them. I’m also curious to give it a listen as I’m sure there will be some helpful parenting strategies in general. I’m especially looking forward to listening to your episode later in the season!

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    1. Thanks so much, Linda. 😊 It was a labour of love and I was so inspired by the deeply personal stories shared by my fellow council members on each episode.

      Thanks for sharing with your family and I hope they find it helpful. If they are in the Toronto area, Surrey Place’s autism programs and services are great.

      Hope you’re enjoying your week. Just getting out of bed and have a long day of sun and pool ahead. 😆

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      1. Sounds lovely! The last couple of days here have been warm and sunny, but the rest of the week will be overcast and a bit colder. As long as the snow keeps melting (and more isn’t being added), I’m good!

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    1. Thank you, Vicki! 🥰 As I said to Wynne above, I learned a lot from your thoughtful approach to the HOTM podcast, including how you balance the co-host approach. So thank you!

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    1. Thanks Vickie. I know I’m biased, but the stories and conversation were great. 😊 Our pilot season featured just the members from our Family Advisory Council. If we are given the opportunity to do another season, I think you and Jess’ story would be a great one to feature!

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      1. I really enjoyed the personal story in your first episode!
        I would be honored to share our story on the family advisory podcast if there is an opening!
        Keep spreading the word of family, positivity and truth! ❤️

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  12. Oh my, Ab, what a wonderful – and important – undertaking. You continue to impress with your proactive approach not only with T himself but with the larger community of caregivers. I’m sure these podcasts will be very beneficial to its listeners. More community building, more mutual support. Bravo!

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    1. Thanks Jane! 😊It was labour of love for our council team and I enjoyed and was inspired to hear each members’ stories. We can all learn so much from each other and our communities. 🙏

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    1. Thanks Beth! 😊 If we are given the opportunity for a second season, one of the episode themes we’d like to do is around navigating the school system. So much information to share and I hope it does bring hope and respite for others.

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      1. that would be so wonderful. we are going to have an especially challenging time here in the states, because to the current administration and they desire to dismantle the education department. The system is already a huge challenge and you and your family have to be their own advocates and this will make it incredibly harder to do so.

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      2. Oh Beth, I feel so much for you and all my American WP friends who I know – and can see – are losing your damn minds with the lunacy going on.

        I’ve been reading the Education News with absolute horror and disbelief. It really is all tied together – dismantling of education, DEI and creating a mistrust in news and obliterating public services and putting an anti-vaxxer in charge of the health portfolio – all about dismantling democracy.

        Sorry for going on a rant, but I am just horrified from so many perspectives, including a parent! Hang tight, we are all sending you all strength and good will!

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      3. thanks for all of this, ab. know that I’m doing everything I can to fight this and will not give up. many thanks to Canada and for the strength of your politicians

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    1. Thank you Wynne! 💕 This was so new to all of us in our council and I learned a lot from your and Vicki’s example of how to run a great podcast, including taking a co-host approach which is what we’ve done. So thank you to you both for being an inspiration for ours too! 🙏

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      1. Oh, I’m so glad! I think having two hosts helps spread out the pressure — and maximize the fun!

        And I love listening. How interesting to contemplate the different phases of community. But whatever the phase, I love the goals of grace, acceptance, and belonging. I do think this younger generation is more open to it.

        Can’t wait to hear more of these episodes, Ab!

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