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Helping patients 'get a bit of their sparkle back' 'I try to understand their interests outside the hospital. Doing something fun takes away from the medicalization of being in the hospital.'

A former patient told me about their "favourite nurse." I knew I had to interview her. ❤️

Inclusive, artist-run camp 'welcomes both my boys' Twins Aarav and Ishaan Ghosh go to different schools. In the summer, they spend their days together at Spiral Garden at Holland Bloorview.

My kids attended Spiral Garden when they were little. In this story, a mom talks about how it meets the needs of both her twin boys. hollandbloorview.ca/stories-news...

Recovery and new friendships after brain injury 'My friends didn't treat me the same... It was like I was a new person in their eyes.'

A competitive swimmer who suffered a brain injury found friends didn’t understand her new disability. 'They just didn’t act the same. It was like I was a new person in their eyes.'

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Lovely to hear from you! ❤️

Noah Is Still Here

Great read.

How I found and built disability community When 'it came to raising a disabled child, we didn’t know anyone in our circle who had gone through anything similar. So, I started building what we didn’t have.'

When 'it came to raising a disabled child, we didn’t know anyone in our circle who had gone through anything similar. So, I started building what we didn’t have.' ❤️

A former patient's return brings the joy of music 'I felt I could connect with kids on a deeper level because of my own experiences.'

Reede Parisi is a popular sight when she appears at Holland Bloorview with a guitar strapped to her back and a cart full of shakers and drums. The music therapy student's connection with the hospital began when she was hospitalized here as a baby.

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How one parent keeps hope alive 'Nurturing hope is no small feat. Especially when we feel helpless to make things better for our loved one. Here are some of the strategies that I used frequently.'

This mom was told her daughter, then 3, had one year to live due to a brain tumour. The daughter is now 23. The mom has written a book about the strategies she used to maintain hope and advocacy in the darkest times.

Former patient returns to train as a therapist 'I’ve lived the experience of being a client and working with clinicians. So far kids have had a very positive response to me.'

She came to the hospital as a 2-year-old for therapy. Now she's training here to be a clinician. hollandbloorview.ca/stories-news...

U.K. families with disabled kids are drowning in debt Over half have skipped meals to ensure their child can eat, one in three can’t keep their home warm, and 80 per cent can’t replace items like a fridge when they break.

'As caring costs increase for families, barriers to paid work as a route out of poverty remain unchanged, including a lack of suitable childcare.'

Ellie Simmonds: Should I Have Children? review – fails to properly tackle the stigma around disabled babies The Paralympian’s thoughtful documentary about whether to become a parent is a compelling watch. But it doesn’t go far enough to address social prejudices around disability

'But we must remember that for all the medical information, the decisions people make about having a disabled child or being a disabled parent are shaped by fear and stigma. We need to talk about that a whole lot more.'

Thanks for sharing Ann!

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Thanks for sharing!

Advocates call absence of disability ministry in PM's new cabinet 'a real slap in the face' | CBC News When Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled his new cabinet this week, one notable position was omitted from the roster: the minister of diversity, inclusion and persons with disabilities.

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Workshop explores tensions between clinicians and parents 'They said they were trained to be hyper-positive, but sometimes the parent isn’t in that space. Often there is a big, gaping hole of despair that no one wants to look at.'

May be of interest to anyone who works with children with disabilities and their parents.

One woman's fight to remove barriers for aspiring doctors with disabilities After her dreams of becoming a doctor were denied, one California woman is working to make the profession more accessible to those with disabilities.

Interesting! www.npr.org/2025/05/15/n...

When a child is in crisis, parents need a 'safe space' 'Sometimes the best thing I can do is really be there with them and hold a difficult feeling with them. It might not be psychotherapy the way you learn about it in school, but it's very therapeutic.'

'Sometimes my two hours in Leticia's room were the only two hours I felt safe in a whole week. She's the only person I tell the hardest parts of my life to.' hollandbloorview.ca/stories-news...

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Must-listen on autism.

Staggering number of families struggle in B.C.’s system for disabled kids: advocate The latest report from her office says up to 83,000 young people with disabilities are not receiving adequate services in the province

'The latest report from Jennifer Charlesworth’s office says up to 83,000 young people with disabilities are not receiving adequate services in the province + while spending has increased 190 per cent in the 18 years her office has been in place, most went to salaries + a narrow set of programs.'

Pediatrician looks for 'moments of connection, happiness and joy' 'I frequently ask parents to brag about their child, so I can understand the child in their natural environment.'

'In clinic, we have a lot of hard conversations. We talk about losing the ability to walk. We talk about losing the ability to feed yourself. So I try to identify moments of connection, happiness and joy...'

For Black autistic youth, police interactions can be dangerous Autistic behaviours become an 'additive risk factor to their Blackness in the context of police interactions.'

In a qualitative study of 43 Black American caregivers of #Black #autistic youth published last month in Autism, 77 per cent had significant concerns about the safety of their child around police.

Who Cares Podcast · Snack Labs · From the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence and Snack Labs, welcome to Who Cares.Who Cares explores the world of caregiving and how Canada can become the best place in th...

Another fabulous #WhoCares podcast covers the role of young #caregivers caring for siblings, parents or partners.

Florence died of starvation in B.C. government care Florence Girard was a 54-year-old woman with Down syndrome. She starved to death in 2018 in a homeshare overseen by a B.C. agency and Crown corporation.

Starvation? In Canada? A woman w #DownSyndrome starves to death in a homeshare funded + overseen by the #BC government.