January on Empowered by Hope is dedicated to something we talk about often but live out imperfectly: self-care. Or, as we prefer to name it in medical-parent reality, self-preservation — the small, necessary choices that allow us to be the parent advocates we want and need to be.
This episode opens with a deeply personal conversation as we honor Emily K. Whiting, our incredible co-founder of Parent Empowerment Network and co-host of Empowered by Hope. Emily shares her decision to pause her formal role with the organization and the podcast in order to focus fully on her family and the ongoing complex medical needs that first inspired both PEN and this podcast.
This is not an ending. It’s a season.
We name a hard truth with compassion: when hospital days, surgeries, advocacy, and parenting stack up, something has to give. Choosing family does not mean abandoning a mission — sometimes it means protecting it in a different way. Emily’s decision reflects the very values PEN was built on: discernment, courage, faith, and honoring what each season requires.
From there, we zoom out to the larger story you helped build. What began as a kitchen-table idea has grown into a global community across 18 countries. We revisit why being diagnosis-agnostic matters, why undiagnosed families must always feel fully included, and how that commitment led to one of our proudest outcomes: connecting Hardikar families worldwide, supporting expanded research cohorts, published guidance, and a first-ever family gathering. It’s one powerful example of what happens when determined moms, loving families, caregivers, and clinicians move together — faster answers, clearer direction, and a quieter kind of hope that lasts.
In true Emily & Ashlyn fashion, this episode offers listeners powerful takeaways as we get practical. If “self-care” feels like another impossible task, we rename it self-preservation: being honest with ourselves about what must be prioritized right now and what might need to be paused or tabled for a season. The mission continues with open hands.
Expect more empowering and honest conversations with medical parents who truly understand, trusted subject-matter experts and credible voices diving into the topics you’ve asked for, shared resources that make the journey a little lighter, and plenty of love, laughter, and support — the same steady presence this community is built on.
We kindly ask that you share this podcast with other families who might benefit from our insights and support. Additionally, please take a brief moment to leave a review on your preferred podcast platform, which helps us to reach as many families as possible who are navigating this challenging journey, so they can find our support circle and access the assistance they rightfully deserve. No one should walk this journey alone.
To get more personal support, connect with us directly at:
https://parentempowermentnetwork.org
Facebook: Parent Empowerment Network
Instagram: ParentEmpowermentNetwork
Join the Parent Empowerment Network Community of Hope
Get your copy of She is Charlotte: A Mother’s Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Journey with Her Child with Medical Complexities by Emily K Whiting on Amazon
