We all have preconceived ideas about what a hospital chaplain is, or isn’t. So, in this conversation with author and chaplain J.S. Park, we discuss how families might utilize their services, receive an advocate and find someone to hold space in a difficult moment.
In this episode, we chat about:
What led you to pursue a career as a hospital chaplain?
When we hear the word "chaplain" that may conjure up many things for many people. What's your primary role as a hospital chaplain?
Do chaplains go through training and if so, what does that look like?
When are some reasons a chaplain may come into your hospital room?
What can patients ask of a hospital chaplain?
Can you explain how the role of chaplain differs from, say, someone's pastor or leader figure at their place of worship?
How do you recover from the hard days as a hospital chaplain so you can be present to the next family in their time of need?
I think chaplains are often an underutilized resource for patients in a hospital setting. What's your best advice to a family struggling through a hard day and how can a chaplain help?
J.S. Park is a hospital chaplain, published author, and viral blogger. For eight years he has been an interfaith chaplain at a 1000+ bed hospital that is designated a Level 1 Trauma Center. His role includes grief counseling, attending every death, every trauma and Code Blue, staff care, and supporting end-of-life care. He also served for three years as a chaplain at one of the largest nonprofit charities for the homeless on the east coast. J.S. has a MDiv completed in 2010 and a BA in Psychology. He also has a sixth-degree black belt. He is the author of The Voices We Carry: Finding Your One True Voice in a World of Clamor and Noise (published by Northfield). His next book, on grief, released May 2024. J.S. currently lives in Tampa, Florida with his wife, a nurse practitioner, and his three year old daughter and adopted dog.
Read the CNN article:
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/09/18/health/hospital-chaplain-lessons-wellness-cec/index.html
Connect with J.S.:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jspark3000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jsparkblog
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jsparkblog
Website: https://jsparkblog.com/
The NICU is hard. We’re here to help.
Hand to Hold is a national nonprofit dedicated to providing neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) parents with personalized emotional support, educational resources and community before, during and after their baby’s NICU stay. NICU support is available at no cost to NICU parents in English and Spanish.
Connect with Hand to Hold:
Learn more or get support at handtohold.org
Follow Hand to Hold on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/handtohold
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/handtohold/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/NICUHandtoHold
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/HandtoHold
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Thriving Together [Full version] by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10332-thriving-together-full-version
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Music: Bright Colors Of Life by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7855-bright-colors-of-life
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Food and the holidays go hand-in-hand, but when there is an allergy or restriction they can often be stressful and full of anxiety. Cottage bakery owner and food allergy mama, Vanessa Gonzalez Kraft, walks you through what an allergy might look like, ways to be a hospitable host and tips for adjusting to an allergy-free kitchen.
In this episode, we chat about:
Tell me a little bit about your NICU stay with your twins.
When did you first notice food allergies in your children?
How did you go about introducing new foods to them?
When did you seek the advice or intervention from a specialist?
What was the toll on that experience like for your family?
How did you respond?
What surprised you the most about your new-found love for baking?
As families enter into the holidays, the dinner table can often be a source of stress if your child has food allergies. What are some tips you have to make it less stressful and more manageable?
What's your best advice to a NICU mom who just learned her child has a food allergy and she's feeling overwhelmed?
Vanessa Kraft is a mom of six daughters. One daughter has multiple food allergies and Vanessa’s twins were preemies that spent time in the NICU. Because of her daughter's food allergies she started Que Bueno Bakery, one that is safe for people with food allergies and dietary restrictions, but also delicious because everyone should get to be in on the fun of celebrations!
Connect with Vanessa:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quebuenobakery/
Website: https://quebuenobakery.com/
The NICU is hard. We’re here to help.
Hand to Hold is a national nonprofit dedicated to providing neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) parents with personalized emotional support, educational resources and community before, during and after their baby’s NICU stay. NICU support is available at no cost to NICU parents in English and Spanish.
Connect with Hand to Hold:
Learn more or get support at handtohold.org
Follow Hand to Hold on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/handtohold
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/handtohold/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/NICUHandtoHold
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/HandtoHold
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Thriving Together [Full version] by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10332-thriving-together-full-version
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Music: Bright Colors Of Life by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7855-bright-colors-of-life
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
As we continue to share stories In honor of Down Syndrome Awareness Month, mom of 5 (including a son with DS) Allison Sullivan shares how she uses TikTok to normalize family life. And, with more than 1.2M followers, we say she might be onto something.
In this episode, we chat about:
Tell us a little about your family.
When and why did you decide to launch a TikTok account?
What’s your primary content on your account?
One of your children has Down Syndrome. Did you ever worry that sharing about him on your social media accounts might elicit negative reactions?
Best part about having a child with DS? Most challenging?
During Down Syndrome Awareness Month, what do you want another DS mom to know?
Allison Sullivan is married to Seth and a mom of five. She believes in playing her part in the renewal and transformation of communities through walking humbly, acting justly and loving mercy. She is a writer and podcaster, loves good hospitality and meaningful service and is active in social justice causes to cultivate love and hope. Allison is a trauma-informed yoga instructor. For fun, she enjoys creating wholesome content through a family lens for over 1.2 million TikTok fans, long road trips with her family, girls’ nights out with her friends, thrifting, reading, and spending time at the beach. To relax, Allison watches Modern Family on the couch with her dogs.
Connect with Allison:
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sullivanfamilytiktok
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allisonmsully
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/allisonsullivan
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sinner-saint-sister/id1234435619
The NICU is hard. We’re here to help.
Hand to Hold is a national nonprofit dedicated to providing neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) parents with personalized emotional support, educational resources and community before, during and after their baby’s NICU stay. NICU support is available at no cost to NICU parents in English and Spanish.
Connect with Hand to Hold:
Learn more or get support at handtohold.org
Follow Hand to Hold on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/handtohold
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/handtohold/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/NICUHandtoHold
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/HandtoHold
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Thriving Together [Full version] by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10332-thriving-together-full-version
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Music: Bright Colors Of Life by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7855-bright-colors-of-life
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
In honor of Down Syndrome Awareness Month, we shed some light on life with a DS child with PICU mom, Stephanie Weinert. She shares how she received the diagnosis and how Beckett’s entrance into the world changed her life. In this episode we briefly discuss death, dying and grief.
In this episode, we chat about:
The day she learned her son was diagnosed with Down Syndrome.
What were some of the things you had to re-learn as a mom after Beckett's diagnosis?
What were some of Beckett's challenges and how did those affect your family?
What are some of the greatest things Beckett brought to your family?
Often, we fear what we do not know. What's something you feared that either never came to fruition or was less stressful than you imagined it might be?
What are some ways you honor Beckett's life and how are you managing your grief particularly during anniversaries or the holidays?
What's something you want people to know about Down Syndrome?
What would you tell old Stephanie, knowing what you know now, about having a child with DS?
Stephanie Weinert is a wife, mother, writer and media personality. She served as a radio host before becoming a stay-at-home mom. Stephanie has spoken nationally and internationally on topics related to faith, family life, homeschooling, motherhood, and the suffering path to salvation. She and her husband Peter share openly about their youngest son, Beckett, who was born in 2019 with a surprise diagnosis of Down Syndrome and a serious heart defect. Beckett’s short life of 18 months changed the Weinert family forever. Caring for a special needs child and walking through grief and child loss helped Stephanie see motherhood through a new lens..
Connect with Stephanie:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephanieweinert
Website: https://www.motherandhome.co/
The NICU is hard. We’re here to help.
Hand to Hold is a national nonprofit dedicated to providing neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) parents with personalized emotional support, educational resources and community before, during and after their baby’s NICU stay. NICU support is available at no cost to NICU parents in English and Spanish.
Connect with Hand to Hold:
Learn more or get support at handtohold.org
Follow Hand to Hold on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/handtohold
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/handtohold/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/NICUHandtoHold
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/HandtoHold
The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Thriving Together [Full version] by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/10332-thriving-together-full-version
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Music: Bright Colors Of Life by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7855-bright-colors-of-life
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license