Complex Parenting Times Two, Ambiguous Living with Parvathy Krishnan

I Don't Know How You Do It

May 21 2024 • 41 mins

When not one, but two of her children were diagnosed with devastating rare genetic disorders, Parvathy Krishnan's world was turned upside down. Her daughter battled multiple conditions for years before passing away just after her fourth birthday. And her teenage son is a five-time cancer survivor.

In this profoundly moving and insightful episode, Parvathy pulls back the curtain on what it means to be a parent in constant crisis mode - the relentless anxiety, the hospital stays across multiple cities, and having to parent two children with rare diseases simultaneously.

Yet Parvathy's story is ultimately one of incredible perseverance, radical hope, and unconditional love. With wisdom and candor, she discusses brutal concepts like "ambiguous living," and shares hard-won strategies for staying present and techniques like visualizing being "stuck in tar" to center yourself amid the unimaginable.

Parvathy's journey has also sparked a new purpose - founding an advocacy organization to build support systems for other families facing ultra-rare diseases and catalyzing patient-centered care revolutions like insisting full medical teams round inside patient rooms.

You'll learn:

  • Why you should admit that things suck
  • How to start fixing things, even if you're still in your PJs
  • How to advocate for your care or the care of your child
  • Why being stuck in tar can be a good thing
  • The immense value that comes from sharing
  • And so much more...

Learn more about Parvathy:
Instagram
Krishnan Family Foundation

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"This is my go-to podcast for inspiration and to discover new approaches to embrace the challenges in my life." If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps me reach more people -- just like you -- find strategies and insights to do the things that feel undoable. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let me know what you loved most about the episode!

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Sign up for my newsletter and learn more about these remarkable stories at www.jessicafeinstories.com

Order Jessica's memoir, Breath Taking: A Memoir of Family, Dreams, and Broken Genes

Music credit: Limitless by Bells

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