Episode 11: Hope for Cerebral Palsy with Dr. Alisha Rai
12/20/22 • 58 min
Please note, this episode covers topics regarding miscarriage that some listeners may find upsetting. Becoming a parent is one of the most exciting times of a person’s life; however, the journey is not the same for everyone and is full of unexpected twists and turns. In this episode, we speak to Dr. Alisha Rai, a Family Physician with a keen interest in women’s health and preventative medicine. She is also the co-founder of Hope for Cerebral Palsy, an organization dedicated to providing resources for early intervention therapy sessions for children with cerebral palsy. In our raw and emotional conversation, Dr. Rai shares her journey to motherhood and raising a child with special needs. We discuss the miscarriages, embryo adoption, and birth trauma. We also talk about the emotional and psychological toll it had on her and her husband, how they overcame it, how the overall experience changed their perspectives, and what motivated them to start Hope for Cerebral Palsy. We also learn about the work other organizations are doing, the amazing progress her son is making, and what listeners can do to help. Tune in to hear a story of hope as Dr. Rai opens up and makes herself vulnerable to help other parents going through something similar in this very raw and honest conversation.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Background about Dr. Rai, her professional career, and immigrating to Canada.
- She takes us through her journey of becoming a mother.
- Dr. Rai shares how it felt to miscarry at eight weeks.
- Hear about the various steps and advice she tried to fall pregnant.
- The role age plays in fertility as an older woman.
- Whether there was a pregnancy that she struggled with more than others.
- Find out why adoption was not an option for Dr. Rai and her husband.
- How she found out about embryo adoption.
- What to consider when deciding on the embryo adoption route.
- Why being unrelated to her child on a genetic level does not matter.
- Dr. Rai explains the processes of receiving a donated embryo.
- Learn whether the timing of a women’s cycle and embryo transfer matter.
- Outline of the psychological and mental side effects of hormone treatment.
- Find out if there was any hesitation to tell family and friends about the pregnancy.
- The support family and friends provided throughout the process.
- What happened toward the end of Dr. Rai’s pregnancy.
- How she felt after giving birth and the complications that followed.
- When she started noticing that her son was not like other babies.
- The moment she found out about the SMILE Therapy clinic.
- What they appreciated the most about the SMILE Therapy clinic: positivity.
- An overview of the amazing work SMILE Therapy does.
- Dr. Rai explains what cerebral palsy is and how it affects children.
- An update on the incredible progress that their son is making.
- Discover how you can help Hope for Cerebral Palsy.
Links Mentioned:
Hope for Cerebral Palsy on Instagram
Please note, this episode covers topics regarding miscarriage that some listeners may find upsetting. Becoming a parent is one of the most exciting times of a person’s life; however, the journey is not the same for everyone and is full of unexpected twists and turns. In this episode, we speak to Dr. Alisha Rai, a Family Physician with a keen interest in women’s health and preventative medicine. She is also the co-founder of Hope for Cerebral Palsy, an organization dedicated to providing resources for early intervention therapy sessions for children with cerebral palsy. In our raw and emotional conversation, Dr. Rai shares her journey to motherhood and raising a child with special needs. We discuss the miscarriages, embryo adoption, and birth trauma. We also talk about the emotional and psychological toll it had on her and her husband, how they overcame it, how the overall experience changed their perspectives, and what motivated them to start Hope for Cerebral Palsy. We also learn about the work other organizations are doing, the amazing progress her son is making, and what listeners can do to help. Tune in to hear a story of hope as Dr. Rai opens up and makes herself vulnerable to help other parents going through something similar in this very raw and honest conversation.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Background about Dr. Rai, her professional career, and immigrating to Canada.
- She takes us through her journey of becoming a mother.
- Dr. Rai shares how it felt to miscarry at eight weeks.
- Hear about the various steps and advice she tried to fall pregnant.
- The role age plays in fertility as an older woman.
- Whether there was a pregnancy that she struggled with more than others.
- Find out why adoption was not an option for Dr. Rai and her husband.
- How she found out about embryo adoption.
- What to consider when deciding on the embryo adoption route.
- Why being unrelated to her child on a genetic level does not matter.
- Dr. Rai explains the processes of receiving a donated embryo.
- Learn whether the timing of a women’s cycle and embryo transfer matter.
- Outline of the psychological and mental side effects of hormone treatment.
- Find out if there was any hesitation to tell family and friends about the pregnancy.
- The support family and friends provided throughout the process.
- What happened toward the end of Dr. Rai’s pregnancy.
- How she felt after giving birth and the complications that followed.
- When she started noticing that her son was not like other babies.
- The moment she found out about the SMILE Therapy clinic.
- What they appreciated the most about the SMILE Therapy clinic: positivity.
- An overview of the amazing work SMILE Therapy does.
- Dr. Rai explains what cerebral palsy is and how it affects children.
- An update on the incredible progress that their son is making.
- Discover how you can help Hope for Cerebral Palsy.
Links Mentioned:
Hope for Cerebral Palsy on Instagram
Previous Episode
Episode 10: Diving into the World of Ultrarunning with Arden Young
Ultrarunning is an endurance sport that pushes both mind and body to the limit! Joining us today to tell us how it’s possible to successfully navigate 100 miles of treacherous terrain, is Dentist and Ultramarathon Runner, Arden Young. After winning her first ultramarathon in 2016, Arden has never looked back, even going as far as taking a break from her 12 years in dentistry to focus on her ambitions as a runner. Our guest explains how running can be the best stress-reliever and how racing events help goers to form connections and build relationships. She then goes on to shed some light on all her races from the past year with a focus on the Sinister 7, while detailing the physical and mental preparation required before each race, how COVID impacted the racing community, and how road and trail races differ from each other. Arden’s cooling techniques for running in intense heat lead us to an interesting discussion on other cooling methods, and we learn how she fuels herself while on the trail. We talk about her favourite distances to run, why she can’t sleep the night before a race, why having a team is vital in this so-called solo sport, and how she goes about pacing herself during a race. At the end of the day, ultrarunning is all about staying mentally and physically fit, and Arden shares a Spotify playlist that, if you wish to take up running yourself, should make those many hours on the trail a lot more bearable.
Key Points From This Episode:
- A warm introduction to today’s guest, Ultrarunner and Dentist, Arden Young.
- When and how Arden first got into running.
- Running as a stress reliever.
- Unplanned first marathons and the joys of trail running.
- What motivated Arden to start racing.
- Why race days are magical.
- How a race win cemented her commitment to the sport.
- Arden describes the race test and how it helps foster community and relationships.
- Her running journey after completing her first race test.
- How she ended up at the Sinister 7 Ultra; double the distance of her previous longest race.
- Nate’s support of Arden that ended in a puking session.
- The mental resilience that our guest has built up over time.
- Walking through a year of Arden’s races.
- How long it takes to recover from an ultramarathon, both mentally and physically.
- The impact COVID has had on racing.
- How road running differs from trail running regarding how they affect the body.
- Exploring various cooling methods, and how Arden adapts to running in intense heat.
- The amount of water she drinks during a 100-mile race and how she carries it.
- How she can tell during a race that her body needs fuel, electrolytes, and water.
- Whether she prefers to refuel with liquids, solids, or both.
- The particular foods she enjoys eating during a race, and why.
- Using the bathroom during a race.
Links Mentioned:
Next Episode
Episode 12: You Don’t Need To Hit The Ground Running with Charles Miron
Have you ever convinced yourself that you would ‘love to start running but don’t know how’? While this may be true, most people just admittedly don’t want to build discipline, practice patience, and work through potential boredom. Charles Miron, an endurance athlete and coach, uses his experience and expertise to break down the different components of running, why it is so important to use proper techniques, and how to use them to improve. You don’t have to hit the ground running! In fact, Charles explains that the first step on your running journey is actually walking. Everyone may have different running goals, but the steps you take end up being one and the same. Whether you’re just a beginner or a long-time runner, this episode is filled with valuable information you don’t want to miss!
Key Points From This Episode:
- How beginners can get into running.
- Why you need to determine your running goals.
- Charles’ beginners running program: always start with walking!
- The difference between walking and running.
- Three reasons people don’t like running.
- How to manage running boredom.
- The three main tracking metrics Charles uses in his coaching program.
- Anaerobic versus aerobic systems.
- The importance of patience.
- The components of running.
- How to use your elbows to keep your running beat.
- The correlation between breathing and running.
- Why nose breathing is important.
- Two inescapable running forces: gravity and the road ahead of you.
- The mechanics of your feet and shoes.
- What heart-rate zones are, and why they are important.
Links Mentioned:
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