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The Rare LifeAuthor: Madeline Cheney
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 dont 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. Language: en Genres: Kids & Family, Parenting Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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206: When Family Rejects Your Disabled Child + the Hurt it Causes w/ Madeline
Episode 206
Thursday, 4 December, 2025
When a family member rejects your disabled or medically complex child, whether through subtle distancing or outright exclusion, it creates a kind of hurt that’s difficult to shake. In this episode, Madeline and Alyssa talk through the many ways that rejection shows up in families: minimizing your child’s needs, ignoring their diagnosis, designing gatherings your family can’t access, ghosting you because emotionally engaging is too hard, or outright excluding or belittling your child.Drawing from hundreds of community responses, we explore the emotional impact of these experiences—the isolation, the grief, the disappointment, and the shift in how we see these family bonds once these hurtful patterns emerge. We also touch on the clarity that can come from moments like this: boundaries that become necessary, expectations that change, and the people who rise to the occasion when others don’t.If you’ve ever felt this kind of hurt from the people closest to you, we hope you feel seen and understood after this episode.And a big thanks to our sponsor for this episode, the makers of the incredible documentary, The Zebra & The Bear!Links:Watch The Zebra & The Bear (coming to streaming platforms the day after Thanksgiving!)Fill out our contact form to join upcoming discussion groups!Follow us on Instagram @the_rare_life!Donate to the podcast or Contact me about sponsoring an episode.Follow the Facebook page. Join the Facebook group Parents of Children with Rare Conditions.And if you love this podcast, please leave us a rating or review in your favorite podcast app.
