Power Hour: Making It to Monday – A Conversation on Medical Trauma, Resilience, and Community

For parents and caregivers of children with neurological conditions, the challenges don’t end when the medical crisis is over. The emotional impact—watching your child undergo procedures, facing an uncertain future, and managing ongoing care—can be overwhelming.

Medical trauma is real, yet it is rarely acknowledged in healthcare settings. Both children and caregivers can experience anxiety, PTSD, exhaustion, and burnout, often without realizing that these are symptoms of trauma.

For many families, the effects of medical trauma remain unspoken, leading to isolation, self-doubt, and emotional exhaustion. But healing starts with recognition, connection, and support.

In this discussion, Jennifer Nunes (social worker and author of Making It to Monday) will be joined by a panel of parents who will answer questions and share their lived experiences.

Topics include:

• What is medical trauma, and how does it affect both children and caregivers?
• Recognizing trauma responses in both parents and children, including PTSD, anxiety, and emotional burnout.
• Practical tools for healing, including therapy options, self-care strategies, and trauma-informed approaches.
• The power of community and peer support in navigating life after a medical crisis.
• How parents can advocate for trauma-informed care in medical settings.

Join us for this honest and validating conversation about the emotional impact of medical trauma—and how families can find strength, healing, and hope.

About our speaker:

Jennifer Nunes is a registered social worker, author, and public speaker in Greater Toronto. With over a decade of experience in clinical social work, Jennifer specializes in addressing and treating issues such as anxiety, trauma, caregiver stress, and self-esteem. She wrote Making It to Monday, an Amazon bestselling memoir that chronicles her family’s journey through her son’s medical crisis. The book promotes resilience, accessing inner strength through vulnerability, and finding joy in the chaos. Jennifer is also an active public speaker, offering workshops and seminars on caregiver advocacy and positive psychology.

About our panelists:

Camie Rodan is the mom of two beautiful children, including a 10-year-old son who had multiple perinatal strokes. After her son received a grim prognosis, Camie spent years traveling to access the best therapies and medical services to help him recover, ultimately moving across the country—from Washington, D.C., to Tennessee, and then to Southern California, where she now resides with her family. She dedicates her time to supporting other families in the disability community as the Communications Director for the International Alliance for Pediatric Stroke and co-founder of the KISS Pediatric Stroke Support Facebook group. Camie is also a school representative for her local Special Education Local Plan Area, a founder of the Special Education Parent Advisory Committee for her school district, and a graduate of an Emerging Leadership Program for disability advocates. She brings a unique and personal perspective on trauma, advocacy, and the importance of community for families living with lifelong medical conditions.

Naomi D. Williams is a perfectly imperfect person on a mission to empower individuals and families to live their best life, now. As a Life Doula, she helps people navigate and process major life-altering events. Naomi believes anyone and everyone can and should lead an exceptional life. She is the proud mother of a former 26-week preemie who lives with a host of diagnoses that fall under the primary umbrella of spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy. She uses her and her son’s past and present experiences to inform and partner with healthcare systems as they live out the consequences of not being considered a valuable member of their care team. Naomi is the author of And God Remembered Noah: A mother’s heart-opening journey through 22 weeks in the NICU. When not advocating for her family or others, you can find Naomi getting lost exploring nature or taking a deep breath on her yoga mat. Find her at exceptionalliving101.org , Noahland.Art, or LinkedIn.

Hosted by:

Audrey Vernick, the Director of Patient and Family Advocacy for the Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Alliance, draws from her personal experience navigating her son Bennett’s medical journey after he suffered a prenatal stroke. Following years of treatment for chronic infantile spasms, he underwent a right hemispherectomy. However, the journey has not been easy. She understands the challenges families face in the aftermath of life-altering medical events.

About Power Hour

We understand that being a parent of a child who is anywhere on the epilepsy surgery journey can be challenging and overwhelming at times. That’s why we’ve created our Power Hour workshops – to provide you with the tools and knowledge you need to empower yourself and your child.

These workshops are designed to be non-intimidating and easy to understand. We use real-life examples to make sure you can easily follow along and apply what you learn.

During the workshops, we’ll cover a variety of topics, including:

• Understanding your child’s needs and the impact it may have on their development;
• Navigating the educational system and finding the right resources for your child;
• Building a support system for yourself and your family;
• Self-care and stress management for parents of children with disabilities

…. and more!

By empowering yourself and your child, you can better advocate for their needs and create a more positive and fulfilling life for both of you.

Power Hour workshops are held online and can be attended from the comfort of your own home. They are open to all parents and primary caregivers of children anywhere on the epilepsy surgery journey. We hope you’ll join us for these valuable and informative workshops. Sign up today and take the first step toward empowerment!

Power Hour sessions are brought to you by our corporate sponsor UCB.

We are grateful for their support!