2025 National Diaper Need Awareness Week is September 15-21. Join Shield Healthcare in helping end diaper need across the United States.    What is Diaper Need? Did you know that 1 in 2 American families with young kids are unable to afford enough diapers to keep their children clean and healthy[1]? Taking into consideration the… Continue reading Diaper Need Awareness Week 2025

Have you ever had a moment where two seemingly disparate elements in your life collide in a way you never could have predicted? It’s like discovering your childhood best friend is married to your favorite barista.   This collision happened to me as I was standing around my son Charlie’s hospital bed going through pre-op… Continue reading What Do You Value More: Comfort or Productivity?

“We are a team.” This is what I tell my children whenever we have to make compromises as a family. You know the drill – someone wants to go to McDonald’s for lunch and somebody else wants to be taken to a friend’s and then the third has a doctor’s appointment and it is all… Continue reading We Are a Team

Let’s be real – being a teenager isn’t easy. You’re balancing schoolwork, friendships, family expectations, and figuring out who you are, all while trying to keep up with the fast-paced world around you. On top of that, social media, pressure to succeed, and even world events can all weigh your mood down. It’s no surprise… Continue reading Self-Care for Teens

  If you are a person with a disability or a caregiver of someone with a disability, you are familiar with the act of waiting. You’ve studied the florescent lights of rooms with televisions mounted in the corner and floors with odd sticky patches while you’ve waited to be called back to see a specialist.… Continue reading Waiting Games

Summer break is often a much-needed break for all of us – parents and kids alike. However, it is a transition nonetheless, which can be a stressful time. Even though the demands for summer are often less and the schedule offers more free time, the shift from structured days and school routines to summer freedom… Continue reading When the Summer Transition Creates Anxiety Too

  I did not know much about hospital life before my son Charlie was born. Then, along with Charlie came a long NICU stay. This, oddly, is not when I developed the hard-won knowledge I am about to share. The NICU operates much like any intensive care so that you can’t (or are at least… Continue reading Helpful Tips for Your Next Hospital Stay

  Mental health struggles in teens and young adults are more common than we often realize, yet these issues often remain invisible. It’s challenging to know how to start a conversation, especially when a teen might feel embarrassed, overwhelmed, or just not ready to open up. If you’re a parent, teacher, or guardian looking to… Continue reading Talking to Your Teen About Their Emotional Struggles Without Pushing Them Away

My son Charlie is thirteen. We have never done the Special Olympics. Honestly, it has never been in a location close enough or with anyone we know to make it worth it. With a diagnosis in utero of Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome, an emergency pre-term birth, a twelve-week NICU stay, cerebral palsy, tracheotomy, gastrointestinal tube, hip dislocations,… Continue reading Special Olympics Real Talk