When Parents Become Advocates

Send us Fan MailThe moment you realize “the system” can’t carry this for you is the moment you become your child’s advocate. I sit down with Ashlyn Thompson, co-founder and executive hope director of Parent Empowerment Network, to unpack the kind of courage that gets built in hospital rooms at 2 a.m. Ashlyn shares the story of her daughter Emery’s rare congenital condition, bladder exstrophy, and what it’s like to hold joy and grief at the same time on the day your child is born. We talk through the realities of complex pediatric surgery, extended hospital stays, and the terrifying medical crises that forced Ashlyn to trade blind trust for informed partnership. She explains why parent advocacy is not about fighting doctors, it’s about collaboration, clear communication, and treating a caregiver’s observations as meaningful data for care decisions like pain management and medication changes. If you’ve ever felt the pressure of making a choice that could shape a child’s entire future, you’ll recognize the weight she names so honestly. Then the story takes a turn that will stick with you: a single comment in an online parent support group leads Ashlyn to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London and a bladder neck reconstruction option not available to her in the United States. We dig into research, intuition, second opinions, and what “solution seeking” looks like when the stakes are lifelong. Ashlyn also shares how connection counters isolation, and why Empowered by Hope and Parent Empowerment Network exist to move parents from emotional crisis to advocacy readiness across any diagnosis. If this conversation helps you, subscribe, share it with a caregiver who needs hope, and leave a review so more families can find it. What part of Ashlyn’s journey hit closest to home?You can support the show in a few different ways—by grabbing something from our merch store, picking up a copy of my book, or joining us on Buy Me a Coffee. Every bit of support helps keep the podcast going and also helps us give back to nonprofits doing good in the world.“Intro music: ‘Human First’ by Mike Baker – YouTube Music: https://youtu.be/wRXqkYVarGA | Podcast: Still Here, Still Trying | Website: www.mikebakerhq.com”Support the show