#21: “Once a Trauma Mama, Always a Trauma Mama"- with Erin from Capturing Courage Photography

Send us Fan MailThis week, I’m joined by Erin. She’s an involved and empathetic NICU mom who just gets it. We talk candidly about what it was like to live in the ICU, the weight of advocating for your child, the emotional whiplash of NICU life, and how those challenges don’t magically end after discharge.Erin shares what it’s been like raising her funny, sweet son, born at just 24 weeks, and what life looks like now as a preteen. We talk about the ongoing obstacles he’s overcome, including BPD and restrictive airway disease. We talk about how NICU trauma can linger long after the monitors stop beeping.Erin explains how that trauma can resurface years later, and how therapy, community, and finding your people—especially fellow medical moms who truly understand, can make all the difference. Erin has beautifully turned her pain into purpose through her nonprofit photography business, Capturing Courage, offering free sessions to NICU families in Columbus, Ohio. She also serves on the executive committee of the BPD Collaborative, working to improve outcomes and support for families of medically complex children.This is as real and lighthearted as it gets in the world of Trauma-Mama-ing. Erin and her son have overcome so much, and her story is a testament to resilience, healing, and finding meaning in the mess.Whether you’re in the thick of it or years past discharge—you’ll feel like we get you.We’re a mess, you’re a mess, you know we’re a mess, and we all know it. 😆😉 And it’s going to be okay. 👍🏻