Des Stauffer shares with us her journey through denial and grief after discovering, around 20 weeks into her pregnancy, that her daughter Ivy’s cerebellum wasn’t developing at the typical rate. She shares how little help and preparation she received from the medical community and how her faith and her village make her day to day life possible.

Now a mom of two (Lily 18, Ivy 8), Stauffer jumped in with us during the snowpocalypse (she lives in Michigan & would be unimpressed by TN’s winter vortex, but is kind enough not to make fun of our week out of school for a few inches) to talk a little about blended families, teenage oversharing, and share so much thoughtful, learned insight from her experience as a mom to Ivy, her wild, funny, neurodivergent, strong-willed, differently-abled, music-loving, extroverted, youngest daughter.

Follow Momcult on Instagram @momcultpodcast.