A Saskatchewan mom is using her unique parenting experiences as a “Medical Momma” to help other moms and dads.
For the last three years, Kyla Thomson’s daughter Bella has spent over 600 nights at the Alberta Children’s Hospital and Thomson has had to learn how to parent a child with complex medical needs.
“We were unaware of all Bella’s rare diagnoses,” Thomson said. “She has six and it’s taken three years to discover them all.
“Once I started realizing all the little tips and tricks you learn when you actually have to live in hospital for months, I thought, ‘I’ve got to share this with other moms and dads who are going through the same thing.”
Thomson has created a YouTube channel called “Hospital Mom Hacks” to share her videos. Topics range from how to care for her daughter’s medical lines (like IV or feeding tube lines) to how to keep well-meaning strangers away.
“Anything to do with a child having a hospital stay, whether it’s a day, week, month or even a year.”
Thomson also tackles subjects around self-care, like how to manage stress and how to reach out for mental health support.
“PTSD is a scary term but you can’t deny these moms and dads, their scenarios have caused that. They’re dealing with it,” she said.
Thomson said the response from other parents has encouraged her to keep going. She already has plans for another four or five videos she hopes to produce and upload soon.
“I’ve had people I don’t know, other medical moms and dads, come up to me in the store and they’re like, ‘You don’t know who I am but your video really helped me.’
“That’s my whole purpose right there.”