Military Mom Talk Radio hosted by Sandra Beck and Robin Boyd welcomes Debbie Nichols of Deployed: Grandparents Being Parents, August 29
August 29, 2011
By Military Mom Talk Radio, Motherhood Incorporated
Military Mom Talk Radio hosted by Sandra Beck and Robin Boyd welcomes Debbie Nichols of Deployed: Grandparents Being Parents.
How would you like to wake up one morning and have your entire lifestyle change?
Debbie Nichols tells her story.
“That is what happened to me. My husband and I were empty nesters having the time of our life; kids were grown, doing what we wanted to do. Then our United States Air Force single parent daughter deployed to Afghanistan and we became the guardians to her two school age daughters.”
“We had to adjust to a completely different lifestyle and being a parent again, along with worrying about our daughter’s safety.”
“My story begins when I pick up my granddaughters in Arizona and move them to our home in California. We enroll them in school; learn how to be a parent in today’s society. I share how to adjust to sudden lifestyle change, military deployment, mixed emotions of missing my old life style, challenges of reuniting the family back to prior deployment, and my struggles of transforming back to being a grandmother again.”
“This was the biggest challenge in my life but the most rewarding”.
“When my daughter returned from her tour of duty I felt a need to reach out to military families facing deployment. The military prepares the spouses for deployment, but not the civilian guardians. Presently there is no information for guardians and I wanted to share my experiences and ways to make the deployment experience a positive one.”
“According to the 2008 US Census there over 4.5 million grandparents raising their grandchildren and the number is rising. There were two million military children that experienced their parents deployment and 250,000 military children went to a guardian to live.”
“Recently, I have had several friends become permanent guardians to their grandchildren, having to readjust their entire life style. Having that experience of sudden change and changing my empty nester lifestyle I felt I could help. Transitioning and adjusting to their new life can be very difficult. You didn’t sign up for this job, but your love drives you to take this huge responsibility. It is the most challenging, yet rewarding time of your life.”
Join Sandra and Robin this Monday to hear Debbie’s heartfelt story. Doris Rivas-Brekke, roving reporter, will be back with News You Can Use.
Military Mom Talk Radio on airs on Mondays at 2pm Pacific Standard Time on Toginet Radio and can be downloaded directly from itunes and MilitaryMomTalkRadio.com.
Military Mom Talk Radio is co-hosted by Sandra Beck and Robin Boyd, creative director Doris Rivas-Brekke, hosted by Toginet Radio and powered by Motherhood Incorporated. Military Mom Talk Radio supports and helps bring information to the families of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard and is dedicated to serving our friends and family at the following Army bases: Fort Sill, Fort Bragg, Fort Carson, Fort Jackson, Fort Sam Houston, Fort Dix, Fort Campbell, Fort Belvoir, Eglin AFB, Shaw AFB, Fort Hood, Fort Eustis, Fort Leonard Wood, Redstone Arsenal and Fort Bliss. We would also like to honor our friends and family at the following over seas installations: Bahrain Administrative Support Unit, NATO Support Activity Belgium, Bad Kreuznach, Rhein-Main Air Base, Stuttgart/Robinson Barracks, Naval Forces Guam, Kadena Air Base, Torii Station, Aviano Air Base. We would like to thank the Department of Defense for supplying guest and topics.
Alison Rhodes, The Safety Mom, has exploded onto the national scene as the preeminent voice on safety, wellness and healthy living. From environmental toxins and healthy eating to sports injuries and cyber bullying, The Safety Mom is always on the lookout for the issues facing children – newborns to teens – as well as the entire family.
After experiencing the death of her child from SIDS, Alison became committed to saving children’s lives. Over the years Alison has expanded her career platform to include a gamut of vital issues facing families.
Alison’s ability to connect with parents in a down-to-earth, uplifting and engaging manner while providing important information has made Alison a sought-after guest on many national television shows including The Today Show, Fox & Friends, CNN International, CNBC Squawk Box, Good Morning America and The Doctors.
Both her newsletter, The Safety Scoop, and blog, The Safety Chronicles, as well as regular articles on popular parenting sites such as Parenting Weekly and Baby Weekly reach thousands of parents every month with tips and advice that help parents sort through the hype and get to the facts. She has a weekly radio show, “Keeping It Together With Alison, The Safety Mom” which features guests giving parents advice on staying happy, safe and sane.
Over the years, Alison has worked with numerous companies in reaching moms including ADT Security Systems, Johnson & Johnson, Evenflo, Symantec Technologies, Cord Blood Registry, SC Johnson and Unilever.
Alison is the mom of three children, the oldest with intellectual disabilities.
Motherhood Talk Radio is co-hosted by Sandra Beck, Christy Holly and Rick Swanson, hosted by Toginet Radio and powered by Motherhood Incorporated. Motherhood Talk Radio would like to thank our guest who have spoken with respect to motherhood on the following topics: women’s issues, parenting, relationship advice, personal growth, divorce, marriage, dating, weddings, relationships, health care, pet health, crafting, beading, relationship advice, cooking, family matters, care packages for soldiers, nutrition, child adoption, children with brain injuries, children’s advocacy, autism, cancer, eldercare issues, child care issues, personal growth and parenting issues.
Motherhood Talk Radio hosted by Sandra Beck, Christy Holly, and Rick Swanson, welcome Tait and Lauren Zimmerman and The Little Tait Foundation for Preemie Aid.
The Little Tait Foundation for Preemies is a non-profit organization founded to help those who believe it is the responsibility of private communities and the body of Christ, not of the State through tax-funded welfare programs, to meet these needs. Your donations will be applied to the intended needs with minimum overhead, rather than trickling through multiple layers of bureaucracy. Funds go directly to the specific doctor, hospital, or other medical care provider, after standard negotiations and reductions have been made.
Tait and Lauren Zimmerman were married May 3, 2008. A month later, they joyfully found out they were expecting their first child! Six months into her pregnancy, Lauren went into labor. During the rushed drive to the midwife’s, and the ensuing 40-mile ambulance ride to the hospital in Anchorage, the young couple offered up many prayers for the safety of both mother and baby.
Tait received a call from the midwife en route informing him that there was no reversing the labor at that point, and that his new son or daughter would be born that day. The couple’s midwife tried to prepare Tait for all possible outcomes, and just prior to the emergency C-section, Tait and Lauren committed their soon-to-be-born child’s life to the Lord in prayer.
Tait Edward Zimmerman, Jr. was born November 6, 2008, a 27-week preemie, weighing just 2 pounds 9 ounces and measuring 14 inches long. Amazingly, Little Tait was breathing on his own, though he did need significant breathing assistance over the next few months. Little Tait spent the first three months of his life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Children’s Hospital at Providence in Anchorage, AK, connected to numerous feeding and oxygen tubes, wires, leads, and IV’s.
These three months were filled with strange new medical terms, and a whole education in newborn intensive care. Tait and Lauren found themselves looking forward to unusual milestones — the removal of an IV, their son’s first feeding (from a syringe through a feeding tube), removal of the bili light and accompanying goggles, higher oxygen saturations, closure of his heart’s PDA valve, fewer apnea events, progression from the CPAP to cannula, graduation to an open crib, satisfactory weight gains, first oral feeding, and first time momentarily disconnected from the plethora of cords, wires, and tubes.
While these long months were some of the most difficult of Tait’s and Lauren’s lives, the Lord used them as a time of immense growth and provided daily opportunities to share their family’s hope and vision with many of Little Tait’s kind caretakers.
Early in Little Tait’s stay, Tait and Lauren were approached by social workers, informing them that — because of their son’s low birth weight — Medicaid would automatically cover their hospital bills in full, as well as partially cover meals, lodging, transportation, and any future therapies. While it was definitely a tempting option to just sign their son’s substantial bill off to the taxpayers, and while social workers raised many arguments in favor of the government programs, Tait and Lauren sought counsel and stood firm on their pre-marriage commitment to not accept government welfare; instead, they sought to cover the costs on their own and with any help the Lord might send through private support.
By God’s grace, and through help from the body of Christ, they were able to raise $51,000 in 60 days to cover Little Tait’s neonatology bill. The hospital bill is still under negotiation.
Little Tait finally came home on February 6, his three-month birthday, two days after his due date, weighing 8 pounds 15 ounces. Today, he is a healthy, happy, energetic 2 ½-year old who brings constant joy to his parents. He loves playing with his best friend and brother Miles (20 months), and adores his newest little brother Matthew (born May 25th). Tait and Lauren are so thankful to the Lord for all He has done in and through their precious son’s life, and pray that Little Tait would grow up to be a mighty man of God.
Motherhood Talk Radio is co-hosted by Sandra Beck, Christy Holly and Rick Swanson, hosted by Toginet Radio and powered by Motherhood Incorporated. Motherhood Talk Radio would like to thank our guest who have spoken with respect to motherhood on the following topics: women’s issues, parenting, relationship advice, personal growth, divorce, marriage, dating, weddings, relationships, health care, pet health, crafting, beading, relationship advice, cooking, family matters, care packages for soldiers, nutrition, child adoption, children with brain injuries, children’s advocacy, autism, cancer, eldercare issues, child care issues, personal growth and parenting issues.
Motherhood Talk Radio hosted by Sandra Beck, Christy Holly and Rick Swanson present Dawna Kennedy and Stopping the Pain: help for parents of teens who cut and self-injure.
Dawna Kennedy, a graduate of Antelope Valley College and mother of six ranging in age from 12 to 27 talking candidly about teens who cut and self-injure. She has experience withAntelopeValleyHospitalalong with working for a private psychologist specializing in family issues. She explains to us why teens self-injure as well as focusing on positive ways to help them deal with stress and develope a plan to keep your teen safe.
Motherhood Talk Radio is co-hosted by Sandra Beck, Christy Holly and Rick Swanson, hosted by Toginet Radio and powered by Motherhood Incorporated. Motherhood Talk Radio would like to thank our guest who have spoken with respect to motherhood on the following topics: women’s issues, parenting, relationship advice, personal growth, divorce, marriage, dating, weddings, relationships, health care, pet health, crafting, beading, relationship advice, cooking, family matters, care packages for soldiers, nutrition, child adoption, children with brain injuries, children’s advocacy, autism, cancer, eldercare issues, child care issues, personal growth and parenting issues.
Shefali’s latest book The Conscious Parent has been prefaced by HH the Dalai Lama and endorsed by Eckhart Tolle, Marianne Williamson, Marci Shimoff and others. Learn more about her work and her book at: www.globalid.com
Shefali Tsabary, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist with a private practice in New York. She received her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University, New York. As she was exposed to Eastern teachings at an early age, her specialty is in the integration of this Eastern philosophy and Western psychology. It is this blend of East and West that allows her to reach a global audience, and establishes her as one of a kind in the field of mindfulness psychology.
Motherhood Talk Radio is co-hosted by Sandra Beck, Christy Holly and Rick Swanson, hosted by Toginet Radio and powered by Motherhood Incorporated. Motherhood Talk Radio would like to thank our guest who have spoken with respect to motherhood on the following topics: women’s issues, parenting, relationship advice, personal growth, divorce, marriage, dating, weddings, relationships, health care, pet health, crafting, beading, relationship advice, cooking, family matters, care packages for soldiers, nutrition, child adoption, children with brain injuries, children’s advocacy, autism, cancer, eldercare issues, child care issues, personal growth and parenting issues.
