Episode 3: Tough Cookie: Our Daughter’s Inflammatory Bowel Disease & Liver Disease Journey

Sometimes the signs are quiet before they are loud.Sometimes the story begins long before we know what we’re looking at.In this episode of Holyoaks Rise: Stories of Rising Through the Unexpected, I share our daughter’s journey with pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), liver disease, and the long road to finding answers. What began as seemingly unrelated symptoms eventually led us through specialist appointments, testing, advocacy, and a diagnosis that changed our family’s life.We gently walk through:• Early signs of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in children• Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis (UC)• Chronic gastrointestinal (GI) inflammation• Urinary symptoms as an early warning sign• The “sensitive neighbor” bladder explanation• Abnormal liver labs and liver involvement• Autoimmune liver diseases including Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) and Autoimmune Hepatitis (AIH)• Parenting a child with chronic illness• Medical motherhood, advocacy, and navigating complex diagnoses• Supporting a child through ongoing medical careIf you are navigating pediatric IBD, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, liver disease, PSC, AIH, autoimmune conditions, chronic illness, or life with a medically complex child, you are not alone.This episode offers encouragement, practical perspective, and hope for families facing uncertainty while learning to advocate for their children and trust the process one step at a time.This is our “Tough Cookie” rise story—not rushed, not dramatic, just honest, steady, and anchored in hope.Topics discussed: Pediatric IBD, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, liver disease, autoimmune disease, chronic illness, medical motherhood, medically complex children, patient advocacy, caregiver support, and family resilience.Warm Memories - Emotional Inspiring Piano by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoonAttribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/