The Two Girls That Needed Me  episode artwork

EPISODE · Nov 7, 2025 · 7 MIN

The Two Girls That Needed Me

from Raising Rosie: The Rest of the Story · host Melanie Kandzierski

In this first episode, I tell the story behind how I became a mother—twice.Not in the way most people do.This is a story that spans five generations, starting with my grandparents who were foster parents, to me becoming a mother to Faith, a medically fragile baby girl who would one day call me Mama. And then, years later, her baby—Rosie—who would call me Mama too.I talk about what it means to love someone you can’t save, how addiction and grief shaped my motherhood, and how my past with Faith helped prepare me for Rosie’s diagnosis with Dravet syndrome.It’s a story of G-tubes, grief, foster care, genetic testing, and getting on a plane with nothing but an empty suitcase and an open heart.This is for the women who became mothers in unexpected ways.This is for the ones who kept showing up, even while breaking.This is for the children who needed us—and the versions of ourselves we became for them.

In this first episode, I tell the story behind how I became a mother—twice.Not in the way most people do.This is a story that spans five generations, starting with my grandparents who were foster parents, to me becoming a mother to Faith, a medically fragile baby girl who would one day call me Mama. And then, years later, her baby—Rosie—who would call me Mama too.I talk about what it means to love someone you can’t save, how addiction and grief shaped my motherhood, and how my past with Faith helped prepare me for Rosie’s diagnosis with Dravet syndrome.It’s a story of G-tubes, grief, foster care, genetic testing, and getting on a plane with nothing but an empty suitcase and an open heart.This is for the women who became mothers in unexpected ways.This is for the ones who kept showing up, even while breaking.This is for the children who needed us—and the versions of ourselves we became for them.

NOW PLAYING

The Two Girls That Needed Me

0:00 7:58

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Raising Rosie: The Rest of the Story?

This episode is 7 minutes long.

When was this Raising Rosie: The Rest of the Story episode published?

This episode was published on November 7, 2025.

What is this episode about?

In this first episode, I tell the story behind how I became a mother—twice.Not in the way most people do.This is a story that spans five generations, starting with my grandparents who were foster parents, to me becoming a mother to Faith, a...

Can I download this Raising Rosie: The Rest of the Story episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!