Shows
Hydro Heroes UniteDancing in the Rain: Scott + Angelica’s Story of Hope + HealingIn this final episode of Season One, I bring it home (literally) and share parts of my conversation with my husband Scott as he opens up about his perspective through Angelica’s hydrocephalus and Dandy-Walker diagnosis.Scott opens up about:The shock of receiving a diagnosis during pregnancyNavigating NICU life, Hurricane Maria and unexpected PICU transfersFinding humor in hard places Advocating as a caregiver and trusting your gut (and your partners)How resilience forms slowly, moment by momentThis episode is funny, heartfelt, and deeply hopeful. Sometimes, the most powerful form of resilience is learning to...
2025-10-291h 11Hydro Heroes UniteSelf-Care is Not a Luxury, it’s a Responsibility: Advocacy & Resilience with Pediatric Psychologist Dr. Elizabeth McRaeToday I’ll share parts of my conversation with Dr. Elizabeth McRae, a pediatric psychologist at the University of Alabama, to talk about empowering children with complex medical conditions and supporting the families who care for them.We explore:The difference between pediatric psychologists and neuropsychologistsHow parents can help kids learn to advocate for themselvesThe RAISE program, which helps caregivers build resilience and find balanceWhy self-care and mental health are essential for families raising medically complex kidsResources & Links:Hydrocephalus Association RAISE Resilience Program: https://www.hydroassoc.org/raise-resilience-program/...
2025-10-1555 minHydro Heroes UniteThe Search for the Silver Lining: Melissa & Abagail’s Hydrocephalus StoryIn this heartfelt and often funny episode of Hydro Heroes Unite, I sit down with Melissa, a fellow NICU mom and twin mom, whose daughter Abagail lives with hydrocephalus, hemiplegia, cortical visual impairment, and epilepsy.Melissa shares her heart and her humor as she reflects on their family’s journey — from the early NICU days to navigating the complexities of hydrocephalus, including challenges many parents don’t expect.We talk about the power of trusting your instincts as a parent, finding silver linings even in tough times, and the huge difference it makes when doctors show h...
2025-10-0159 minHydro Heroes UniteHelping Children with Hydrocephalus Thrive with Neuropsychologist Dr. Jennifer QueallyWhat every parent needs to know about helping kids with hydrocephalus thrive at home and school. Today’s conversation with neuropsychologist Dr. Jennifer Queally explores the impact of hydrocephalus on learning and development, how parents and schools can collaborate, and the challenges children face in self-advocacy. The conversation also dives into practical strategies for supporting independence, preparing for adulthood, and balancing the realities of parenting a child with a medical condition.Whether you’re new to this journey or years along, you’ll find encouragement, insights, and hope in this discussion.Episod...
2025-09-1750 minHydro Heroes UniteUnderstanding Hydrocephalus: A Conversation with Pediatric Neurosurgeon Dr. Ramin EskandariWhat is hydrocephalus? How is it most commonly treated? And what should families know about living with this complex neurological condition? In this episode we’ll hear from Dr. Ramin Eskandari, a leading neurosurgeon, about the realities of hydrocephalus care.We discuss:What hydrocephalus is and how it affects patientsThe most common treatment options, including shunts and ETVWarning signs of shunt malfunctionsNew research and advances in treatmentThe debate on activity restrictions for patients with hydrocephalusDevelopmental, psychological, and psychiatric concerns for patients and caregiversWhy improving quality of life matters just as much as quantity of lifeWh...
2025-09-0351 minHydro Heroes UniteFaith, Family, and Fight: Crystal & Natalie's Story of ResilienceCrystal’s story is one of resilience, faith, and hope. After her daughter Natalie was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, additional challenges followed: cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and autism. In this episode, Crystal opens up about walking through the valley of the shadow of death, leaning on her faith, and finding strength as a parent in the most difficult circumstances. We discuss how she and her family faced the fear of having another child, the importance of hope, and what it means to step back and allow our children to struggle in order to discover what they are truly capable of.
2025-08-2049 minHydro Heroes UniteWhen the Whole Family’s Admitted: NICU Care & Hope with Dr. Hallie MorrisIn this episode of Hydro Heroes Unite, we head into the NICU with neonatologist Dr. Hallie Morris, who brings both her medical expertise and deep compassion to the conversation.We explore what it really means when a baby is admitted to the NICU - and how, in many ways, the whole family is admitted too. Dr. Morris shares how hydrocephalus is often diagnosed in newborns, how care teams come together, and why supporting caregivers is just as important as supporting the patient.From managing expectations and grieving what you hoped for, to embracing optimism in...
2025-08-0642 minHydro Heroes UniteWe Just One-Daying It: Miya + Mila’s Hydrocephalus StoryIn this first episode of Hydro Heroes Unite, I sit down with Miya — a mother of three whose youngest daughter Mila lives with hydrocephalus and cerebral palsy. Miya opens up about navigating a four-month NICU stay with newborn twins during the pandemic, while also parenting a toddler at home.We explore what survival mode really looks like, what comes after crisis, and how Miya stays grounded in the long game of raising a child with special medical needs. This conversation is raw, real, and incredibly powerful. Topics we cover include:
2025-07-2347 minHydro Heroes UniteIntroducing Hydro Heroes UniteWelcome to Hydro Heroes Unite, a new bi-weekly podcast for parents and caregivers raising children with hydrocephalus. I'm your host, Taisha Cameron a fellow hydro hero mama, and in this season, we’re shining a light on the pediatric hydrocephalus journey.Each episode brings you real conversations with other parents and insights from medical professionals who understand the daily challenges and quiet victories of life with hydrocephalus.Our first full episode drops Wednesday, July 23. Subscribe now and join us every other Wednesday as we build a community rooted in stories, support, and solidarity.
2025-07-2201 min
Spanish Sin Pena012. Holding the 'Both And'When you sit at the intersection of two identities being able to hold both your reality and see the changes that need to be made are essential. Today we’ll hear how Violeta Donowa, a second-generation Panamanian and African American social worker in Detroit, navigates blackness in latinidad and discusses why she feels therapy is a tool none of us should leave unexplored.
Episode transcript: https://share.descript.com/view/bDSOxRvf1pg
Get in touch: I’ll ask a question at the end of each episode and if you’d love...
2022-10-1030 minSpanish Sin Pena010. Advocating for the Future, Honoring the PastMaking sure you’re understood and can communicate with those you love is super important. And if your parents come from different cultures, speaking different languages, it can make communication with the extended family difficult. It’s one of the reasons why today’s guest, Lydia Villalba a seventh-grade English teacher, had a pause put on learning Spanish at home. Now she’s working to reclaim that lost language so she can advocate for her students and cross that bridge to more fluent communication with her Paraguayan familia.
Episode transcript: https://share.descript.com/view/pvJ...
2022-09-1224 minSpanish Sin Pena009. We Don't Talk About Cuba, no, no, noEvery parent wants to keep their child safe. Some families’ eradication of a language or cultural practices evolves from a deep desire to ensure the safety of their loved ones. In today’s episode, we’ll talk to Chloe Bostian, a visual effects artist and food blogger, who feared as a young child that Spanish was not something to speak out loud (unless you were angry) and you don’t talk about Cuba. We’ll see how she’s unpacking all those feelings and finding ways to connect to her Cuban heritage, sin miedo, without fear.
Episod...
2022-09-1227 minSpanish Sin Pena008. It's Not a Midlife CrisisEvery family has a story of why a language or customs may have stopped being passed down to the next generation. And there are those who feel compelled to reignite that connection. In the story of our guest today, Carmen Blanco a social justice advocate, we’ll hear about a Nicaraguan father’s wishes for his daughter to thrive in a new land with the language that would help her the best. And how now she is at a point in her life to finally learn the language left behind and make it stick.
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2022-09-1228 minSpanish Sin Pena007. Finding Your Voz en EspañolWe each have ways of learning that feel the most natural and areas of interest that easily catch our attention and spike our curiosity. Join me, Taisha Cameron creator of this new season of Spanish Sin Pena, as I’m interviewed by founder Wendy Ramirez sobre mi historia, about my story, and how using my skills as an actor, a storyteller, can help me find my voice en español.
Episode transcript: https://share.descript.com/view/Vuw3mdk2XwH
Get in touch: I’ll ask a question at the e...
2022-09-1229 min