Ep 11 - Emily, PWS Mom

Walking with Freya - A podcast by Anne Fricke

I spoke with Emily Felt, a mother to 6 year-old Olivia with PWS. Emily was living in Barcelona at the time of her daughter’s birth so we get a look at how another country handles the experience of a mother giving birth to a child with special needs. She talks about how Olivia’s birth and diagnosis affected her, the grief that came from it, and how one session with a therapist helped shift her outlook dramatically. We discuss the frustrations we have with doctor’s feeling like they need to harp on the negative aspects, what needs to be fixed or treated, without the balance of positives – what is working, what is going well. Emily is also in the process of creating something that I personally am very excited about: Food Gratitude: A Positive Psychology Inspired Toolkit for Families of Kids with PWS This is to help families with PWS kids to create positive, anxiety-free experiences with food, how to find create a healthier relationship with food and meal time, and a more…but I’ll let Emily tell you more about it.