Episodes

Mary dives into an exhilarating conversation with John and Nicole Vester. From the very beginning, John was ready to document much of the pregnancy on his blog. Initially expecting twins, to later finding out there was only one heartbeat, the emotional rollercoaster didn't end there. As if decoding the NIPT results weren't challenging enough, they found themselves navigating the confusion that arose from Nicole initially carrying twins. Despite these issues. the odds of their baby being born wit...

Mary sits down for an enlightening conversation with Christiana Thiessen, a courageous Canadian who along with her husband moved to Jordan to assist with the Syrian refugee crisis. Just a year and a half later, Christiana discovered she was pregnant with her first child. Joy quickly turned to uncertainty when she learned that her baby would be born with Down syndrome. Facing this challenge in a foreign country was daunting. Yet , Christiana's journey to acceptance was swift and profound. Within...

In an incredibly raw and often heartbreaking conversation, Mary sits down with Puja Mehta to delve into the story of her son Aaryav's diagnosis. Puja, who currently resides in India, spent several years in the United States, where she gave birth to both her children. She recounts the experience of a medical system that failed her long before Aaryav, who was born with Down syndrome, came into the world. From the beginning, red flags were missed. Markers on her ultrasounds, indicative of Down syn...

It's the end of the school year and Mary shares about the type of year it's been with another new EA for Ainsley. She shares Ainsley's successes and what it means to have a good team to support your child. Mary also talks about a great day at the PNE where Ainsley rode the big roller coaster for the very first time (she wasn't one bit scared) and their big plans for the summer.

In a heartfelt conversation, Mary sits down with Kim Revai, who shares the incredible and emotional story of her son Jace's birth. Kim's journey is a testament to the strength and resilience of a mother facing unimaginable challenges. Jace entered the world at an astonishing 26 weeks and one day, far earlier than expected. Kim, living far from her family was told to go directly to the hospital and prepare for his birth, plunging her into a whirlwind of fear and uncertainty. Despite his very pre...

Mary and a group of her Haunted Rockin' Mom friends meet and go to the 150th Kentucky Derby.  These women all met on a haunted pub crawl back in 2022, and have forged an incredible friendship.  They pack in a lot over the Derby weekend, including a b...

Mary sits down with Sabine Kussman, who recounts her poignant journey of her son Kian's diagnosis and her family's courageous path forward.  From a heart-wrenching beginning, where two weeks passed without a single medical professional congratulating...

Mary has an engaging and heartfelt conversation with Shiloh Carte who shares her not very typical, diagnosis story.  In fact, Shiloh predicted her child with Down syndrome! Over a year before she was even pregnant, Shiloh had a dream that was so vivi...

Mary chats with fellow Rockin' Mom Stacey Herncane who shares her diagnosis story.  Stacey waited in limbo for a week until she was given a definitive diagnosis for her son.  From grief of thinking "why her" and how this just wasn't a possibility in ...

Mary's heart-to-heart with Dorothy reveals the power of faith and resilience in the face of life's challenges. Dorothy's journey from miscarriage to pregnancy is a testament to the human spirit and the importance of holding onto hope.  Twenty years l...

Mary's conversation with Kellie Anderson reveals a powerful story of resilience and hope.  Despite Kellie's Rh factor creating obstacles during her pregnancy, she remained determined and inspired.  When her baby Raina was born with Down syndrome, Kel...

Mary engages in a heartfelt conversation with Shelli DeGroot delving into her remarkable journey of diagnosis and resilience.  Shelli recounts the unexpected twist of a pregnancy even after having her tubes tied, followed by the surprising news of he...

Mary chats with mom Keller Kuhn for the first episode in the diagnosis stories series.  Keller is Mom to Timmy, who is almost 22 years old, and she shares how she actually prayed for a child with extra needs, what prompted this and how she felt when ...

Mary shares her personal experience on this past World Down Syndrome Day and cool experience after wearing her "Love Down Syndrome" shirt.  She also shares that even though this day is important, that this year she didn't do a whole lot other than we...

Mary chats with Lauren Zwick, mom to Emma and Lily who are identical twins with mosaic Down syndrome-a true rarity! Lauren shares the uniqueness of her twins and how their mosaicism affects them differently.  It is a fascinating and intriguing conver...

Mary shares her personal story of being a single mom by choice and receiving a prenatal diagnosis that her baby would be born with Down Syndrome.  She talks of her intense feelings of grief and sadness upon learning of her baby's diagnosis, but also ...

Mary chats once again with toileting expert Katie Rinald.  Katie answers some of the most commonly asked question from parents who are toilet training their child with Down syndrome.  Everything from when to start, is your child ready, how to get you...

Mary shares about the recent snowfall and how Ainsley actually enjoyed it.  She also talks about what is happening at school, how Ainsley is participating, and her recent gains in speech. And finally, Mary talks about how you can be a part of an upco...

Christmas traditions and how Christmas may look different for our children with Down Syndrome.On today’s episode Mary talks with Ron about some of her favourite Christmas traditions, how she has learned to appreciate the “moments” and not worry about...

On today’s episode, Mary shares the best birthday gift ever!  Putting into Ainsley’s IEP “fostering friendships” turned into a heartwarming birthday card and a beautiful note by Ainsley’s EA for her birthday.  She talks to how our kids, even those wi...

On today's episode, Mary talks with Carissa Carroll, founder of Jack's Basket.  When her son Jack was born with Down syndrome, no one congratulated them and the delivery of his diagnosis by the health care provider left much to be desired. Carissa fe...

On today's episode, Mary talks about a successful Halloween and an interesting trick or treat experiment involving a potato!  Mary also shares how she was pleasantly surprised with Ainsley''s memory of her music therapy teacher.  Mary also met Madiso...

Mary heads to San Antonio, Texas for this year's Rockin Moms Retreat.  Listen in as Mary chats with other moms, hears their stories, and learns what the Retreat means to them.  There's another Haunted Rockin Moms pub crawl that may have been more sin...

In today's episode Mary shares this year's IEP experience, which went pretty well!  She also talks about Ainsley's new EA, how keen he is, and how he wants to make things more inclusive for Ainsley.  Plus she has an update about Ainsley's palette exp...