How Much Should a Parent Have to Fight to Keep Their Child Alive? With Erika Thomison

I sat down with my friend Erica Thomison, and honestly, I’m still angry. Not at her—at the system. Because how is it that a mom with a master’s in social work, someone who knows how to navigate the maze, is still spending 20+ hours on the phone just to get life-saving medication for her son? What chance does anyone else uneducated in “the system” have? We say these things are in place to support families—but are they? Or are they quietly pushing people to the brink?Erica shared the reality of raising a child with complex needs—dialysis, transplant, constant advocacy—and what struck me most wasn’t just the medical journey. It was the bureaucracy. The endless finger-pointing between Medicaid and Medicare. The pharmacies that can’t “run the code.” The red tape that quite literally puts lives at risk. And we’re supposed to accept this as normal?Let’s talk about the part no one wants to say out loud: the mental toll. What happens when parents are already maxed out and then told to “try harder”? When survival mode becomes your entire identity? We’re not just failing families—we’re breaking them. And then we act surprised at the consequences.But here’s the other side of this conversation: community. The “village.” Spaces where you can say the hard things out loud without judgment. So I’ll ask you—who’s in your village? And if you’re drowning… Why are we still pretending you’re not?Find more info on Erika here:Independent Living for Adults with DisabilitiesChapters00:00 The Parent Cafe Experience06:08 Navigating Medicaid and Healthcare Challenges10:06 The Impact of Dialysis on Family Life18:29 The Ongoing Struggles with Healthcare Systems31:38 Mental Health and Parental Challenges34:20 Navigating Parenthood in Crisis39:06 The Weight of Judgment and Fear44:03 The Role of Social Workers and DCS50:11 Misuse of Resources and False Accusations56:03 Rethinking Domestic Violence Interventions01:01:08 Building Community and Support NetworksContact Tabitha:[email protected]://tabithazeigler.com/