171: The Financial Strain of Medical Parenting w/ Amanda Griffith-Atkins + Alyssa Nutile

It’s no secret that parenthood is expensive. But when it comes to parenting a medically complex kid, the dial is turned up to 100. Everything with an “accessible” label is marked up 10x. We have to make renovations to our homes and vehicles with little to no financial assistance. And that’s often on top of career and work changes that have made our finances tighter to begin with. In this episode, I’m bringing back Alyssa Nutile and Amanda Griffith-Atkins to sort through the thoughts, feelings, and anxieties from this community about the financial aspect of this life. We cover many of the stressors, the guilt and shame associated with feeling like you can’t provide for your child, and some of the resources and routes other parents have used to ease some of the financial stress. This episode touches on some deeply personal territory for many of us, but I think it’ll leave us all feeling less shame and loneliness. Let’s dive in! Links: Visit the ABLEnow website to learn how to open an account for your child! Visit SupportNow to start a registry and share with your community. Join The Rare Life newsletter and never miss an update! Fill out our contact form to join upcoming discussion groups! Follow Alyssa on Instagram @caffeinated_caregivers! Follow Amanda on Instagram @amanda.griffith.atkins! Follow us on Instagram @the_rare_life! Listen to previous episodes with Alyssa: Ep 170 on Hospitalizations Ep 140 on Alyssa’s Story Ep 125 on Traveling with Disabled Children & on our recent season opener and finale episodes! Listen to previous episodes with Amanda: Ep 159 on Sharing the Mental Load Ep 156 on Getting a Divorce Ep 153 on Hurtful Things Loved Ones Say Ep 147 on Sex and Disability Parenting Ep 142 on If My Disabled Child Outlives Me Ep 135 on Career and Family Roles Ep 132 on Self-Care Ep 131 on Chronic Stress Ep 130 on Anticipatory Grief Ep 99 on Family Planning Ep 85 on Parental Identity Ep 81 on Health Anxiety & our holiday season eps: Being Hospitalized During Holidays - Isolating at Home During Holidays & Why Holidays Can Suck. Donate to the podcast or Contact me about sponsoring an episode. Follow the Facebook page. Join the Facebook group Parents of Children with Rare Conditions. Access the transcript on the website here. And if you love this podcast, please leave us a rating or review in your favorite podcast app!