19: Brave Together Podcast - Jessica Patay, Susanna Peace Lovell and Dr. Zoe Shaw - Episode 19
19: Brave Together Podcast - Jessica Patay, Susanna Peace Lovell and Dr. Zoe Shaw - Episode 19

UK Health Radio Podcast

Three veteran caregiving mums share the fears and questions they carried in the early days of their children’s diagnoses and the reassurance they wish they’d heard. The conversation reflects on anxiety, uncertainty, asking for help, and the comfort of community and shared wisdom.

AuthenticSupportiveInformativeHopefulHealing

43:45•3 Jun 2026

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Brave Questions: Veteran Caregiving Mums Share the Answers They Needed Most

Episode Overview

It’s normal to feel devastated and terrified after a child’s diagnosis, but over time many parents feel stronger, more capable and less overwhelmed.
When "what if" thoughts spiral, fully answer the scary question in your mind, then mentally put it on a "shelf" to help close the anxiety loop.
There is no crystal ball for how a disability or syndrome will look in your child’s life, yet you can grow the skills and resilience needed to support them.
Asking clearly for what you need—information, reassurance, or hands‑on help—gives others a real chance to show up for you.
Community with other caregiving mums and honest stories, such as letter collections from veteran parents, can reduce isolation and offer real comfort.

“"You will feel terrible in the beginning... But you will feel better. You will feel stronger. You will feel more capable."”

What are the common struggles and victories in addiction recovery? Here, the focus shifts to another kind of relentless resilience: parenting children with disabilities and neurodivergence. Hosted by Jessica Patay, Susanna Peace Lovell and Dr. Zoe Shaw, this Brave Together instalment on UK Health Radio centres on the questions they were once too scared to ask in the early days of their children’s diagnoses – and the answers they wish someone had given them.

If you’re a caregiving parent feeling afraid, exhausted or stuck in "what if" loops, you’ll likely recognise yourself in their stories. Dr.

Zoe recalls bringing her daughter home from the NICU and blurting out to a neighbour, "Do you think she's going to be okay?" The neighbour could only say, "I don't know," but Zoe realises now she really needed to hear, "You're going to be okay." Jessica and Susanna echo that need for reassurance, with Jessica repeating a message many parents long for: "You will feel terrible in the beginning... But you will feel better. You will feel stronger.

You will feel more capable." The trio talk honestly about fears around medical fragility, future independence, and even basic questions like "Will I ever feel like myself again?" They share practical tools too, such as Dr. Zoe’s idea of fully answering your "what if" questions, then mentally putting them on a "shelf" to calm anxious thoughts.

You’ll also hear about asking for help (and how hard that can be), building a support tribe, and the comfort of a community where "there’s no dumb question." Their new anthology of letters from veteran caregiving mums is described as "community in the pages of a book," written for those at day one, month one, or year one of this life.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’ll cope, or if your life can still hold joy and mascara and prom dresses alongside care plans and diagnoses, this conversation might be the gentle yes you’ve been waiting for.

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