# The Rare Life Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619 Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619.md RSS feed: https://anchor.fm/s/22c0499c/podcast/rss Official site: https://therarelife.org Author: Madeline Cheney Episodes: 305 ## Resource This is the real, raw, and all the feels of loving a child with disabilities. Episodes feature parent-guests, professionals, and solo episodes with host Madeline Cheney. Their authentic conversations don’t shy away from the strong and mixed emotions that often accompany medically-complex parenting. Parents listen in to feel seen, validated, and receive much-needed solidarity. Professionals working with disabled people listen in to better understand what is often going on under the surface for a family living with disabilities. ## Machine-readable JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-rare-life-1239619 Markdown: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619.md ## Episodes - [Clinical Trials | Should I Enroll my Disabled Child in One? (Summer Mini #5)](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619/clinical-trials-should-i-enroll-my-disabled-child-in-one-summer-mini-5) — 2026-07-09T13:35:10+00:00 - [How Time in Nature Impacts Disability Parents (Summer Mini #4)](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619/how-time-in-nature-impacts-disability-parents-summer-mini-4) — 2026-07-02T16:00:15+00:00 - [Traveling with Disabled Kids Tips and Tricks (Summer Mini #3)](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619/traveling-with-disabled-kids-tips-and-tricks-summer-mini-3) — 2026-06-25T14:46:58+00:00 - [The Forgotten Fathers | To The Dads Who Hold It All Together w/ Lizzie (Summer Mini #2)](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619/the-forgotten-fathers-to-the-dads-who-hold-it-all-together-w-lizzie-summer-mini-2) — 2026-06-18T15:56:56+00:00 - [Summertime Feels, Disability Ed. (Summer Mini #1)](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619/summertime-feels-disability-ed-summer-mini-1) — 2026-06-11T14:26:58+00:00 - [228: Season 13 Finale | Biggest Impacts, Hardest Listens, + A Special Guest](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619/228-season-13-finale-biggest-impacts-hardest-listens-a-special-guest) — 2026-05-28T14:31:33+00:00 - [227: Abuse and Neglect Safeguards | Who We Can Trust + How to Protect Our Disabled Children](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619/227-abuse-and-neglect-safeguards-who-we-can-trust-how-to-protect-our-disabled-children) — 2026-05-21T15:12:44+00:00 - [226: Should I Be Raising Awareness About My Child’s Diagnosis?](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619/226-should-i-be-raising-awareness-about-my-child-s-diagnosis) — 2026-05-14T15:11:24+00:00 - [225: Schooling Options for Disabled Kids | Advocacy, Access + Emotional Toll of Navigating Tough Choices w/ Rachel Redmond](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619/225-schooling-options-for-disabled-kids-advocacy-access-emotional-toll-of-navigating-tough-choices-w-rachel-redmond) — 2026-05-07T15:04:18+00:00 - [224: Emergencies & ER Visits | Making the Call, Coping with “What Ifs” + Survival Tips](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619/224-emergencies-er-visits-making-the-call-coping-with-what-ifs-survival-tips) — 2026-04-30T15:27:51+00:00 - [223: Noelle’s Story | A Terminal Diagnosis, Making Decisions Without a Roadmap, + Longterm Advocacy](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619/223-noelle-s-story-a-terminal-diagnosis-making-decisions-without-a-roadmap-longterm-advocacy) — 2026-04-23T15:00:41+00:00 - [222: Intellectual Disabilities | Complicated Grief, Stigma, and Shifting Perspectives w/ Amanda Griffith-Atkins, Madeline and Alyssa](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619/222-intellectual-disabilities-complicated-grief-stigma-and-shifting-perspectives-w-amanda-griffith-atkins-madeline-and-alyssa) — 2026-04-16T17:25:30+00:00 - [221: Equipment for Our Medically Complex Children | Grief, Gratitude, and Everything In Between](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619/221-equipment-for-our-medically-complex-children-grief-gratitude-and-everything-in-between) — 2026-04-09T15:41:05+00:00 - [220: Robin’s Story | Preparing for the Worst, Staying Present, + Embracing a Different Type of Fatherhood](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619/220-robin-s-story-preparing-for-the-worst-staying-present-embracing-a-different-type-of-fatherhood) — 2026-04-02T18:09:18+00:00 - [219: How Do I Handle Questions from Strangers About My Disabled Child? w/ Disabled Author James Catchpole (UPDATED)](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619/219-how-do-i-handle-questions-from-strangers-about-my-disabled-child-w-disabled-author-james-catchpole-updated) — 2026-03-26T15:16:46+00:00 - [218: Moms vs. Dads in the Medical System | Dismissal, Assumptions + the Cost of Not Being Trusted w/ Kyrie Herman](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619/218-moms-vs-dads-in-the-medical-system-dismissal-assumptions-the-cost-of-not-being-trusted-w-kyrie-herman) — 2026-03-19T15:35:20+00:00 - [217: The NICU Experience | The Shock, Fear, and Emotional Rollercoaster of Navigating the Unknown w/ Madeline](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619/217-the-nicu-experience-the-shock-fear-and-emotional-rollercoaster-of-navigating-the-unknown-w-madeline) — 2026-03-12T17:36:10+00:00 - [216: Cindy's Story | Survival Mode, Unexpected Grief + Navigating Inclusion and Accessibility](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619/216-cindy-s-story-survival-mode-unexpected-grief-navigating-inclusion-and-accessibility) — 2026-03-05T17:40:23+00:00 - [215: Behaviors | Isolation, Guilt + Why It’s Not About “Control” w/ Annie and Katie](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619/215-behaviors-isolation-guilt-why-it-s-not-about-control-w-annie-and-katie) — 2026-02-26T20:16:18+00:00 - [214: Relocation for Better Support | All the Factors to Consider + Complicated Decision-Making w/ Madeline](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619/214-relocation-for-better-support-all-the-factors-to-consider-complicated-decision-making-w-madeline) — 2026-02-19T17:40:50+00:00 - [213: Deonna’s Story | A Childhood Injury & Stroke + Healing After Sudden Life Changes](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619/213-deonna-s-story-a-childhood-injury-stroke-healing-after-sudden-life-changes) — 2026-02-12T19:40:36+00:00 - [212: Surgeries | The Feelings We Have Before, During, and After + How Families Cope w/ Madeline](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619/212-surgeries-the-feelings-we-have-before-during-and-after-how-families-cope-w-madeline) — 2026-02-05T16:15:58+00:00 - [211: Trachs & Vents | Fear, Hypervigilance, & Finding a New Normal w/ Ashley Caywood](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619/211-trachs-vents-fear-hypervigilance-finding-a-new-normal-w-ashley-caywood) — 2026-01-29T16:01:51+00:00 - [210: Receiving Judgement for Disability Parent Decisions w/ Madeline](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619/210-receiving-judgement-for-disability-parent-decisions-w-madeline) — 2026-01-22T16:05:16+00:00 - [209: Kenya’s Story | When Lightning Strikes Twice + Trusting Your Instincts](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619/209-kenya-s-story-when-lightning-strikes-twice-trusting-your-instincts) — 2026-01-15T13:00:00+00:00 - [208: Season 13 Kickoff | A New Theme + Sneak Peeks](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619/208-season-13-kickoff-a-new-theme-sneak-peeks) — 2026-01-09T16:02:00+00:00 - [207: Season 12 Finale | Switching Hosts, Behind the Scenes + A Unanimous Favorite](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619/207-season-12-finale-switching-hosts-behind-the-scenes-a-unanimous-favorite) — 2025-12-11T16:37:49+00:00 - [206: When Family Rejects Your Disabled Child + the Hurt it Causes w/ Madeline](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619/206-when-family-rejects-your-disabled-child-the-hurt-it-causes-w-madeline) — 2025-12-04T16:22:55+00:00 - [TRL + The Power of Feeling Less Alone](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rare-life-1239619/trl-the-power-of-feeling-less-alone) — 2025-11-27T16:14:36+00:00 ## Actions Episode pages expose an explicit `request_transcript` action. 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