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We finally made it to the day we had been dreaming about for years… homecoming day. 🏡🤍

In this episode, we’re sharing what our homecoming days actually looked like.. the emotions, the people who showed up for us, the help we received, and the moments we will never forget.

We talk about the car ride home after years of living inside hospital walls and how completely unreal it felt to realize… we were really going home.

But coming home brought a whole new set of emotions. We discuss the relief of finally leaving the hospital behind, mixed with the worry of suddenly becoming the ones responsible for everything. After years of having nurses, doctors, and a medical team just steps away, there was a moment where it hit us that we were now the ones taking care of them.

We talk about what nursing looked like at home, creating a new routine, learning to trust ourselves, and navigating those first scary emergency scenarios outside of the hospital. The fear, the adrenaline, the happy "firsts" at home, and the things that helped us feel more prepared.

Because coming home is the goal… but learning how to live beyond the bedside is a whole new and exciting journey.

Listen now for part two of our homecoming story.

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One of the hardest and most overwhelming moments in having a critically ill child is also the most hoped-for… bringing your baby home for the first time.

This first part of our 3-part series is for the parents in that in-between space… still in the ICU, but starting to prepare for the homecoming. Our hope is that this episode helps you feel a little less alone, and a little more confident as you step into that transition.

In this conversation, Danielle and I share what it felt like preparing to bring our kids home. We talked through logistics like car seats, medical supply ordering, and in-home nursing, as well as the emotional weight of realizing the hospital safety net won’t be there anymore, and what it actually felt like to become the sole caretaker of your trach and vented child overnight.

We also talk about how important the relationships with our nurses became, and how hard it was to leave them, along with the fears we carried and the things no one really prepares you for once you walk through your front door.

We open up about the reality of suddenly being responsible for every alarm, every tube, every breath, our first emergency moments at home, and what helped us build confidence in those early days.

As Alison shares in this episode: “It’s the start of your life really. All that darkness and terrible stuff that happened in the hospital, you can leave behind. There are much, much better days at home.”

Because “going home” sounds like the finish line, but for so many of us, it’s just the beginning of learning a whole new way to live, love, and care.

In Part 2, we’ll be sharing what the actual day of coming home looked like — the emotions, logistics, and everything that came with that moment.

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This week on Trauma Mamas: Beyond the Bedside, Alison and new cohost Danielle Sullivan introduce this new chapter of the podcast and share what “beyond the bedside” truly means in their everyday lives as moms raising medically complex children.

In this special intro episode, Danielle gives listeners a glimpse into the logistics of life at home with Cora — from the routines and realities of managing a “mini ICU” at home, to finding ways to create normalcy, comfort, and joy in the middle of medical complexity. She also shares why she decided to join Alison on this journey and what she hopes this podcast can bring to families walking similar paths.

Both Alison and Danielle share their personal “why” behind creating this space, their hopes for the future of the podcast, and practical insight into balancing the clinical side of caregiving while still making home feel like home.

This episode is structured as two personal monologues, offering an honest and intimate look into life beyond the hospital walls.