How to Advocate for a Medically Complex Child and Trust Your Gut with Kellie Koziol
The Mami Collective · Paulina Roe
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Show Notes
What do you do when motherhood turns into a medical crash course overnight and you’re expected to make high-stakes decisions while you’re still in shock?
In this episode, Paulina sits down with Kellie Koziel, who shares the story of delivering premature twins at 27 weeks in an emergency C-section, the chaos of the NICU, and how her family was suddenly split across hospitals.
Kellie speaks with a lot of care about the loss of her daughter Sienna on day six, and what it’s like to grieve while continuing to fight for her surviving twin, McKenna, who has faced serious medical needs and ongoing specialist care.
This conversation is also practice- because Kellie has lived it. You’ll learn:
- How to advocate when your child is medically complex (and why it’s okay to ask more questions, request changes, or switch providers).
- How to build the care “ecosystem”: specialists, equipment, resources, and what finally helped them feel supported.
- How palliative care can be a support, not a scary word, and how additional services can improve quality of life for the whole family.
This one is tender, honest, and grounding, especially if you’re parenting in uncertainty and need someone to say: you’re not crazy, you’re not alone, and you’re allowed to trust yourself.