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When Chadd Thompson began his career at Verizon as a college student, he couldn’t have imagined that 28 years later, he’d be balancing high-level executive roles with the immense responsibilities of parenting a medically fragile child. In a deeply personal interview for the Trust Me Mom show, Chadd shared how his daughter Kendal’s type 1 diabetes diagnosis at just 18 months old reshaped his life - both professionally and personally. A Life-Changing Diagnosis Chadd recalls the moment they learned Kendal had type 1 diabetes, a condition in which the immune system attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. At such a young age, Kendal’s symptoms such as lethargy, excessive thirst, and constant diaper changes, were subtle but concerning. A visit to the pediatrician revealed a blood sugar level of 700, where a normal range is between 80 and 120. It was a moment that forever changed their family's trajectory. Learning Through Community Navigating a complex medical diagnosis without the robust internet resources we have today was overwhelming. The Thompsons leaned heavily on the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (currently known as Breakthrough T1DTM), which connected them with other parents and support systems. Community quickly became one of the family’s lifelines, offering empathy, education, and shared experience.  The Power of Structure One of Chadd’s greatest takeaways from this journey was the importance of structure. With or without a medical condition, he believes children thrive on routine. But for Kendal, structure was non-negotiable. Every meal, every activity, and every interaction had to be meticulously planned and documented. Blood sugar checks happened up to eight times a day, often even in the middle of the night. Snacks and meals were calculated by carbohydrate content and followed by insulin injections or, later, pump-based dosing. Chadd recalls, “I'd look at an apple and say, based on the size of that apple, that's 20 grams of carbohydrates. I'd do the math, and I'd say, all right, that's one unit of insulin. I'd draw that out and then I would check her blood sugar first, see what it is. And if it was low at first, maybe I'd let her eat it a little bit and then I would give her a shot to kind of regulate that number. Because the goal is to keep her in a range.” As a parent raising a very young child with type 1 diabetes, Chadd knew she couldn't read labels or understand numbers. The scariest part was that if Chadd’s daughter’s blood sugar was too low, it meant she had too much insulin, and she could pass out and die from it. Adapting and Evolving At age three, Kendal began using an insulin pump - a major shift that reduced the number of daily injections and allowed for more flexibility, particularly during social events like birthday parties. While managing diabetes in public settings remained challenging, Chadd and his wife worked hard to ensure Kendal felt included and confident. Over time, Kendal became more self-sufficient, learning to manage her own glucose levels and dietary needs. Today, she wears a continuous glucose monitor connected to her pump and smartphone – a great example of how technology is revolutionizing diabetes care.  Emotional Toll and Family Dynamics Many families caring for medically fragile children would agree that managing a chronic health condition touches every aspect of family life. Chadd and his then-wife balanced demanding careers while coordinating around Kendal’s needs. They shared early-morning and overnight caregiving duties, all while caring for a second child who was later diagnosed with celiac disease. Corporate life, especially pre-COVID, frequently made it difficult for Chadd to fulfill his responsibilities as a caregiver. Still, he credits his experience as a diabetes dad for honing the skills like planning, scheduling, attention to detail that served him well in business leadership. Kendal’s Growth and Advocacy
Despite years of finger pricks, injections, and food limitations, Kendal internalized her experience and now channels it into helping others. As a young adult, she’s pursuing work with children who face adversity, hoping her story can inspire and support others walking a similar path. A Family Transformed Chadd’s story is a powerful reminder of how personal challenges can forge resilience, empathy, and even professional skills. His daughter’s health condition transformed the entire family, prompting deeper compassion. “You just figure it out,” Chadd says. “You do it because you have to.” He encourages other families going through similar challenges to lean on community, embrace structure, and remember they’re not alone. “There’s definitely hope,” Chadd concludes. And from the way he and Kendal have navigated this journey, it’s clear they’re living proof of that.
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In a heartfelt and eye-opening conversation on Trust Me Mom, Paige Connell, mother of four and mental load advocate, sat down to unpack the invisible labor many women bear in their homes. From navigating resentment in her marriage to building a more equitable partnership, Paige's journey reveals critical insights into a challenge so many families silently face. The Mental Load: An Invisible Burden When Paige and her high school sweetheart became parents, she didn’t anticipate how the balance in their relationship would shift. What began as a subtle imbalance became overwhelming after the birth of their fourth child, made worse by the isolating effects of the pandemic. “I realized I was drowning,” Paige shared. “I was carrying an unfair amount of the work required to manage our home and our kids’ lives.” She wasn’t alone in this. Many working mothers, especially in dual-income households, find themselves becoming the default parent, responsible not just for doing, but for remembering, anticipating, and organizing. Understanding the Mental Load The key to reclaiming balance in her marriage came when Paige discovered Fair Play by Eve Rodsky. It provided the vocabulary and validation she needed. “It wasn’t about a to-do list - it was the invisible load,” she emphasized. “It’s checking the diaper bag, remembering allergy-friendly snacks, managing calendars.” Her husband, like many partners, was willing to help - if only she’d tell him what to do. But that was the problem. “The issue wasn’t his willingness. It was the structure: I was the project manager delegating tasks. That’s still a job.” When Good Men Get Defensive
Money, Time, and Fairness One of the most frequent objections women hear is that their partner “works more” or “makes more money,” and therefore shouldn’t have to contribute equally at home. Paige was firm: “You can’t earn your way out of being a parent and a partner.” In her household, equity meant assessing time, not income. “My husband may work 50 hours, but I’m with the kids alone for 40. We look at the entire week, paid and unpaid labor, when deciding what’s fair.” Mom as the CEO of the Home Paige pointed to how often women are expected to be the CEO of the household. Even when partners say “just tell me what to do,” the responsibility of overseeing, remembering, and following up still falls on them. This manager-employee dynamic, she warned, breeds resentment - and resentment is “cancer for a marriage.” She illustrated this with the classic “nag paradox”: a woman asks her partner to do something, reminds him, and then gets labeled as nagging when he drops the ball. “You’re holding all the accountability with none of the support.” The Corporate Trap: When Work Isn’t Built for Caregivers Paige also reflected on her professional life. “I don’t take advice from men who say ‘grind harder’ when there’s clearly a woman doing the caregiving in the background,” she said. Her critique of corporate norms runs deep. The lack of paid parental leave, affordable childcare, and equitable PTO policies means women are often penalized for being mothers. “There’s a motherhood penalty and a fatherhood bonus,” she explained. “When men become dads, their salaries increase. Women? They’re passed over.” And unlimited PTO? Paige warns it’s a trap. “It sounds flexible but leads to people -especially women - taking less time off because there are no guardrails.” Changing the Conversation at Home Paige’s tips for overwhelmed mothers were both empowering and practical:
Redefining Parenthood Paige challenges the myth that kids naturally gravitate toward moms. “If dads were equally involved, kids would ask for them too,” she insists. Her children often choose their dad just as often because he’s been present, loving, and hands-on since day one. “Caregiving isn’t about biology. It’s about showing up.”
When we think of parenting, we often picture the early joys, the late-night feedings, and the unforgettable milestones. But for Caitlin Johnson, motherhood began not with a baby in arms - but with three siblings adopted through the foster care system in Nevada. Caitlin’s journey from zero to three kids overnight is not only remarkable, it is also deeply rooted in trauma-informed care, resilience, and love. From Inspiration to Action Caitlin was no stranger to adoption growing up. Close family friends - and even her own parents - had adopted children. But she also witnessed the unintended harm that can result when well-meaning families take on more than they are emotionally equipped to handle. “I saw a lot more harm caused than good in some cases,” she shared. Determined to do better, Caitlin pursued formal education in developmental psychology, studied adoption and attachment trauma, and trained through a high-needs foster care agency. With a heart for children who’d experienced hardship, she committed to making a difference where it mattered most. Understanding Trauma and Self-Awareness Caitlin emphasizes that fostering and adoption require a deep sense of self-awareness, “You have to have a certain level of self-awareness of knowing what your limitations are. Not everyone should or needs to foster parent the harder kids.” “You can cause more harm,” she urges. Caitlin also reminded that “Not every kid that's in foster care is a harder kid. If you have that heart, if you have that desire … you should absolutely go for it… Still look for trauma-informed resources because being removed from your family is still a trauma…Do real self-evaluation. What can I handle? What can I not handle? Let that lead where you go. And it may be to a higher level of care agency where you're taking in some of those harder kids and you have those additional supports through an agency. Or it may be the traditional foster care route where you have a more typical child experience of parenting a child in the foster care system.” From learning about trauma-informed parenting to completing rigorous training, Caitlin made sure she had the tools to support her kids, who live with various diagnoses. Finding Support and a New Career Path
Real Talk: What Parenting Teens With Trauma Really Looks Like Today, Caitlin’s kids are all teens. While some parents dread this stage, Caitlin thrives in it. “I love parenting teenagers,” she says. “This is an age group and just a stage of development that I feel very much in my element for. I know that's not the case for everybody, and some people really enjoy the toddler years or the elementary school years, but I feel like I've really gotten my groove with my kids as they're teenagers. This doesn't mean that there aren't struggles, of course, because teenagers can be dramatic and emotional.” Caitlin supports her children by allowing them the space to learn from their choices and experience the consequences. Sometimes, that support means calmly holding space for their emotional outbursts, even in public. She recalls sitting on a curb through one of her child’s meltdowns, then using the moment later to teach reflection and emotional regulation. It’s not always easy, but it’s effective: “We’ve gone from outbursts a few times a week to once every few months.” Healing Isn’t Linear. It’s Still Possible The early years were hard. Therapy appointments (10-15 hours per week), emotional upheavals, sleep deprivation - they leave little time for self-care. “I was really drowning,” Caitlin admits. “But I never gave up, because my kids wanted to heal. That made all the difference.” Over the years, her children have grown into confident, quirky, and fun teens. “Watching them experience things like birthday parties or joking with friends - it’s a reminder of how far they’ve come.” Advice for Aspiring Adoptive Parents
Caitlin is hopeful about her children’s future. While they each have different strengths and needs, she’s confident they’ll thrive in adulthood. “They’re resilient. They’ve overcome so much. And I know they’ll go on to do great things.”
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