# "How do I parent a teenager with a long-term health condition?" Ali Isaac: Imperfect Bodies, motherhood and self-discovery

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/dial-emma-5229217/how-do-i-parent-a-teenager-with-a-long-term-health-condition-ali-isaac-imperfect-bodies-motherhood-and-self-discovery
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/dial-emma-5229217/how-do-i-parent-a-teenager-with-a-long-term-health-condition-ali-isaac-imperfect-bodies-motherhood-and-self-discovery.md
Podcast: [Dial Emma](https://stenobird.com/podcast/dial-emma-5229217)
Published: 2026-01-19T00:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://dial-emma.captivate.fm
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/8029c0dd-454b-44d5-bbd0-fcd066a5f8f7.mp3?aw_0_1st.showid=55a7e298-840a-4d74-83ea-9b2f7b730a36&aw_0_1st.episodeid=8029c0dd-454b-44d5-bbd0-fcd066a5f8f7
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Duration seconds: 2720

## Resource

Welcome back to Dial Emma! Each week, I'll be answering your dilemmas with honesty, empathy, and a few therapeutic truth bombs to help you make sense of life's stickiest moments. If you've ever wished you had a therapist in your back pocket, Dial Emma is here to help. This week, I'm joined by Ali Isaac, author of Imperfect Bodies (available to pre-order now), a powerful memoir that explores motherhood, identity and the female body through the lens of Ali's experiences raising her daughter, Carys, who lives with a rare genetic disorder. Our dilemma comes from a mother of a 15-year-old daughter with cystic fibrosis, who feels overwhelmed with guilt and fear around making the transition from managing her daughter's health needs as a child, to allowing her more independence as a teenager. We talk about the challenges of parenting a child with a long-term health condition, the responsibility and guilt that often comes with it, and the importance of maintaining a strong parent-child bond. Ali also reflects on the power of open communication and finding personal fulfilment outside of caregiving, sharing her own journey of self-discovery through education and writing. If you have a dilemma for Emma, please fill out this form.   --- Dial Emma is hosted by Emma Reed Turrell, produced by Lauren Brook. --- Social media: Emma Reed Turrell @emmareedturrell Dial Emma @dialemmapodcast Email: contact@dial-emma.uk

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