“I had to teach myself to advocate – no one should leave a hospital with more trauma than they came with.”- Julie Walters
In this episode, Katie speaks with Julie Walters, a mom of two neurodivergent children, entrepreneur, and fierce advocate for inclusion and health equity. Julie shares her journey navigating her daughter’s epilepsy diagnosis, the challenges of parenting through complex medical experiences, and how these experiences led her to create The Connected Parent – a resource hub empowering families to find critical services for children with medical complexities or neurodivergence.
Key Takeaways:
✨ Becoming an Advocate Early:
Julie’s passion for advocacy began in childhood, growing up with a mother who had schizoaffective disorder. She learned how to find resources through persistence and necessity.
💡 Navigating Medical Crises as a Parent:
Julie recounts the night she discovered her daughter’s epilepsy through a life-saving baby monitor alert and the emotional toll of multiple seizures, hospital stays, and sleepless nights at the PICU.
🩺 Parent-to-Parent Support:
During one of the hardest times in the hospital, another mom introduced Julie to epilepsy resources – reinforcing the power of community and shared experiences.
🌐 Creating The Connected Parent:
Julie’s frustration with the lack of easily accessible resources for medical and neurodivergent families led her to create The Connected Parent, a platform like Yelp for finding therapists, schools, camps, and more.
👩👧 Involving Her Daughter in the Mission:
Julie’s daughter, Violet, plays an active role in the platform – from Instagram content to product ideas. Her participation highlights the importance of empowerment and shared purpose.
Links & Resources:
🔗 The Connected Parent: Visit TheConnectedParent.net
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Listen Podcast Here : https://childlifeoncall.com/podcasts/242-2/
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