My Story: Why I Research Caregiver Burnout and Support Parents Like You

My Journey Into Advocacy...

It all started at a routine four-month ultrasound appointment. I was expecting twins. However, instead of the joyful checkup I had imagined, I was told my babies were in critical condition and might not have made it.

My babies were born early, required surgery and had multiple developmental delays. There were feeding tubes, specialist visits, therapy sessions and long nights filled with worry. Every milestone felt like a mountain.

But the hardest part?
I lost myself trying to keep everyone else alive.

My Body Was Shutting Down!

In the midst of advocating for my children, I stopped caring for myself.

I gained 100 pounds.
I was diagnosed with sleep apnea and insulin resistance.
I was fatigued, ashamed and emotionally numb.
Even though I was "doing everything right" for my children, I was disappearing.

That’s when I realized:
Caregiver stress is not just emotional; it is physical. It’s spiritual. It’s all-encompassing. And it’s far more common than most people know.

Turning Pain Into Purpose

I went back to school to study what was happening to me and thousands of other parents. I enrolled in a doctorate in education and began researching chronic stress in parents of children with IEPs and disabilities.

In my research, I discovered the following.

• Chronic stress leads to cognitive breakdown and memory disruption (Ratey & Hagerman, 2008)

• Parental Burnout is a measurable condition with emotional and biological markers (Brianda et al., 2020)

• Most parent support systems are not designed to support the parent—only the child (Cheng & Lai, 2023)

• The parents of children with special needs face chronic emotional and financial stress and insufficient support leads to burnout’ (Mroskova et al., 2020, p. 196).

Why I Created The Parent Forge.

The Parent Forge was born out of a simple truth, 'Thriving children need thriving parents'.

This platform is my way of giving you what I wish I had back then.

• A space to be seen, supported and equipped

• Tools that are backed by science and tailored to real life

• A community that understands both the beauty and burden of caregiving

Whether through workshops, coaching, or retreats my message is clear.
You are not just your child’s advocate. You are a human who deserves to be well.

No parent should ever feel lost, unheard or alone on their journey.
Every child, regardless of their ability, diagnosis, or circumstances, deserves the opportunity to grow, thrive, and shine.
I believe that with the right support system, practical tools, and mind-set rooted in hope and empowerment, anything is possible.

If You’ve Made It This Far, You’re My People

You’re probably:

• Tired but still showing up

• Strong but silently struggling

• Capable but craving connection

Let me say this clearly:
You are not alone. You are not too far gone. You are not selfish for wanting more support.

Start With One Small Step:

Sign up for the Parent Forge Free Listening Circle.

A free weekly gathering for parents navigating the journey of caregiving, raising children with disabilities and carrying more than most can see. There’s no pressure to share. No need to prepare. Just space to breathe and be.

Come exhale. Come rest. Come remember that you are not alone.

You were never meant to do this by yourself.
And now—you don’t have to.

References

Brianda, M. E., Roskam, I., Gross, J. J., Franssen, A., Kapala, F., Gérard, F., & Mikolajczak, M. (2020). Treating parental burnout: Impact of two treatment modalities on burnout symptoms, emotions, hair cortisol, and parental neglect and violence. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. https://doi.org/10.1159/000506354

Cheng, A. W. Y., & Lai, C. Y. Y. (2023). Parental stress in families of children with special educational needs: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 14, 1198302. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1198302

Mroskova, S., Rel’ovska, M., & Schlosserova, A. (2020). Burnout in parents of sick children and its risk factors: A literature review. Central European Journal of Nursing and Midwifery, 11(4), 196–206. https://doi.org/10.15452/CEJNM.2020.11.0035

Ratey, J. J., & Hagerman, E. (2008). Spark: The revolutionary new science of exercise and the brain. Little, Brown.