Grieving for the living Losses found in Caring for a child with medical needs

A bit of a different one this week. Karen and Bec chat to Jessica Patay, founder of We Are Brave Together is a non-profit organization, rooted in Southern California, that provides an international community of support for “Caregiving Moms”—moms caring for children or adult children with any diagnosis, disability or challenge: physical, medical, mental, emotional, behavioral. Our current membership of over 3,000 moms represents all 50 states and 27 countries. Not all losses are a loss in the typical sense of the word, there are everyday living losses too and its important we talk about these as so many carers can feel hidden in plain sight. It is an immensely difficult, tough and lonely place to be. Since inception, We Are Brave Together primary mission is to combat the isolation, loneliness, and compassion fatigue that these mothers face, and create opportunities for education, empowerment, support and connection. We know that our brave mothers are at great risk for burnout, depression, and anxiety, so our mission is to truly preserve and protect their mental health with all our offerings. We believe if you educate and support a mom, you educate and support a whole family. We offer a host of resources to empower mothers in their unique and difficult journeys. We also provide online support resources through our Brave Together Parenting podcast, YouTube channel, monthly newsletters, blog posts and social media feeds. Most recently we released our first anthology, Becoming Brave Together: Heroic, extraordinary caregiving stories from mothers hidden in plain sight, to raise awareness about extreme caregiving and to shout the worth of caregiving and parent caregivers. Find more about We Are Brave Together and the work Jessica does here; Website: https://www.wearebravetogether.org/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/wearebravetogether/ Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/wearebravetogether Our book: https://www.wearebravetogether.org/book Podcast: http://bravetogetherpodcast.com/listen Link to Siblings PDF: https://www.wearebravetogether.org/what-siblings-need