EPISODE SHOW NOTES

ATEC - Episode 58: Mother to a Child Born with Differences: From Pain to Advocacy ft. Jaclyn Greenberg

Episode 58: Mother to a Child Born with Differences: From Pain to Advocacy featuring Jaclyn Greenberg

Jaclyn Greenberg did not know she had contracted Cytomegalovirus (CMV) during her second pregnancy until her 34-week check-up when doctors discovered her baby was not growing correctly, had fluid in his brain, and had an enlarged heart. Jaclyn was rushed to the hospital to have an emergency C-Section and after she delivered Henry spent that whole summer practically living in the NICU.

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Because Henry’s brain stopped developing between 30 and 32 weeks his medical team didn’t know what he would ultimately be capable of, or even if he would live. Jaclyn’s sense of guilt overwhelmed her and she entered a deep depression. She stopped visiting the hospital as often and when she was at work or with her other child, relied on others to take care of Henry in ways that she felt unable to. 

 Then, one day she began to feel better and she realized she wanted to enjoy the life she had with her family life and stop trying to fix what could not be fixed. Jaclyn became an advocate for her son and began insisting on getting medical care with doctors who see beyond Henry’s disabilities and treat him like a whole person. Jaclyn is now a mother of three and has made it her mission to battle the stigma the differently-abled face, educate others, and spend quality time with her husband and her children, all of whom look out for each other unconditionally and remind her every day how far they have come as a family.

Jaclyn Greenberg is a temporarily retired tax accountant turned stay at home Mom/emerging writer.  She spends her days juggling parenthood, volunteering and advocating for disability rights while squeezing in time to read, write and relax in her garden. Jaclyn lives with her husband and three children. She loves road trips with loud music, buys too many plants, and is a sucker for bakery cookies. She’s working on a memoir about her journey as a special needs parent. Read more about her, and her family’s adventures over on IG @jaclynlgreenberg.

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ABOUT YOUR HOST

I’m a writer, a teacher, a native New Yorker, and I love hearing about people’s lives. When I think back to my elementary school days at PS 20 in Flushing, Queens whenever we began social studies or a history lesson I wasn’t that interested in learning about battles, topography, or politics. What I wanted to know was how people lived: What their families were like, how they adapted to their circumstances, what they ate, how they celebrated, how they felt.
 
Sociology became my major at Binghamton University and in my life so far I’ve been an actress, a salesperson, a Zoo Keeper’s Aid, a volunteer animal trainer, an ELL teacher, a mother, and a wife. I’m grateful for the experiences I’ve had, all of which led me to create this podcast which is one of the most rewarding projects I’ve undertaken. I couldn’t ask for a better job than having in-depth conversations with survivors, thought leaders, authors, social justice warriors, and people who believe that we are all connected and then getting to share their stories, insight, and vulnerability with listeners.
 
I’m so glad you’ve landed on this page. I hope you find stories here which resonate with you and that you’ll tune in every week. 
 
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ATEC (Episode 10) (ATEC Pin 3)