Sarah's Story: A Canadian Mom's Journey Through Hypospadias and More

A story of unexpected diagnosis followed by years of waiting and choices no parent feels prepared to make. In this episode of Born For This Stories, Johanna and Peter sit down with Sarah, a mom from Canada whose son was diagnosed with severe hypospadias at birth. From being told "it's an easy fix" to learning it would require multiple surgeries, Sarah shares the raw truth of navigating children's hospitals, long waitlists, and the weight of parenting decisions that carry lifelong impact. Her story also reveals what it's like to parent through more than one medical crisis. On top of one son's hypospasias journey, her younger son was hospitalized at just five weeks old with RSV and intubated for seven days. Through it all, Sarah and her family leaned on community to find resilience and were reminded that there are "happy stories" that come from the darkest of days. Whether you're a parent walking through hypospadias, another congenital condition, or simply searching for solidarity in the unknowns of pediatric care, we hope this episode reminds you that you are not alone. In this episode: How Sarah's son's diagnosis unfolded at birth Choosing between world-renowned hospitals in Canada Why waitlists and COVID delayed surgery until age three How she prepared her toddler for surgery with doctor play kits and "magic popsicles" Parenting through RSV, intubation, and the perspective it gave The role of family support and community connection in healing 💬 "Some of them go right. Some of them go great. It's not a situation you ever want to find yourself in, but, you know, there's happy stories to it too." 👣 Share your story at bornforthestories.com 💛 Follow us on Instagram @bornforthestories 🙏 Please subscribe, rate, and share this episode to help us reach more families