Heart To Heart With Anna

Send us a textWhat if the most powerful lever for your child’s growth isn’t another appointment, but how you care for yourself? We sit down with neuropsychologist Dr. Dawn Ilardi to connect the dots between CHD, early brain development, medical trauma, and the everyday choices that help families thrive. From prenatal influences on cognition and behavior to the protective force of stable routines and responsive parenting, we translate research into practical moves you can make this week.We explore why CHD outcomes are shaped long before surgery and how heterogeneity makes each child unique, yet still able to benefit from adapted tools used in the general population. Dr. Ilardi explains how family factors—predictable structure, warm communication, and realistic challenges—can buffer stress and build resilience. We also address the quiet weight of medical trauma for parents and teens, outlining small, affordable supports like gratitude journaling, micro‑breaks, and CHD‑savvy counseling, alongside the healing pow