Episode #1 Catherine Coles

Caution: This podcast contains swearing.

This conversation was recorded in early October so the information shared about Covid status is not up to date in either Manchester or Spain.

A diagnosis like Rett Syndrome can be isolating for families as they learn to adjust to their new normal, whilst everyone around them carries on with ‘business as usual.’

Connection to other families with similar experiences can make a world of difference to our experience of having a child with a disability and to how we cope.

In this episode of the Reverse Rett Podcast,  I’ll be talking to fellow mother to a 25-year-old daughter with Rett and Spain expatriate, Catherine Coles who also happens to be my lifelong friend. 

Catherine and I met back in the dark ages of the early 2000’s before social media dawned and instantly connected us all through topics of shared interest from caring for orchids to navigating a complex diagnosis like this one.

Whatever we go through in life, having one or more solid friends can make all the difference. But what happens when your friend is dealing with the same difficult stuff that you are? Do you drag each other down or raise each other up? 

Here Catherine and I talk openly and honestly about all these issues. We talk about what we thought of each other the first time we met and how our friendship has impacted each of our lives and the lives of our daughters. From diagnosis, to divorce, to our truly darkest moments, nothing is left uncovered in this intimate conversation.

Thanks for listening, Rachael Stevenson

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Spreading awareness and delivering treatments for a rare disease like Rett is a real challenge.

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