Blog | Extra Lucky Moms

Mighty Mack the Mayor and Warrior

By: Lauren Murphy When you’re pregnant with your second baby, doctor appointments become very routine; You’ve done all of this before, so...

Vivian & her Journey with Jordan's Syndrome

By Stacy Kelley We welcomed our sweet baby girl Vivian into the world 7 years ago. As I got closer to delivery, I convinced myself that I...

Don’t let cancer define you: An essay by a childhood cancer survivor

By Lainie Jones I had adrenal cancer as an infant in 1985, so the word ‘survivor’ has been part of my vocabulary my whole life. Even...

Ashley & Ryland

By Ashley Palenka My name is Ashley, and I am a special needs mama. As I reflect back on my journey with Ryland wondering what to write...

Vacation…from therapy too!

By Taryn Maybe it sounds so simple, but it’s not. Last week our family took a vacation, and not only did we not do any therapies, but I...

A Therapist's Journey of Motherhood, Cancer and Dwarfism

By Ava Ghasemi It’s Summer 2017. Amelia is turning 6 months old. She is adorable sitting inside my suitcase as I pack for our little trip...

A Reflection On Kindness

By Francesca Jaffe There was an “incident” at my son’s camp a few weeks ago. Well, I wouldn’t really call it an “incident” because...

Calling BS On Neglecting YOU

By Alissa Alter As much as I love to hate the cliche, “You cannot pour from an empty cup” holds true. And when we become mothers it’s...

A Slow but Beautiful Recovery

In May 2020, I was in a dark place. My mental health was in shambles because of the pandemic and I was healing from the trauma of my...

An Extra Big Lesson

By Lauren Bretscher Hi everyone! I would like to share my appreciation for the work Jess and Taryn (my sister) are doing on Extra Lucky...

A Breastfeeding Journey x 2

This time last year, I was still in the hospital after delivering preemie twins. They started out in the NICU and when I was wheeled in...

Breastfeeding With A Little Extra

By Taryn Lagonigro When I was pregnant with my first daughter in 2011, I set zero expectations for myself for breastfeeding. I knew I...

My Breastfeeding Journey, or Lack thereof

I always wanted to breastfeed. My Mother had breastfed all of us for at least three months so my assumption was that I’d be able to do it...

Flipping it Upside Down: A Parent with a Disability Parenting an Able-Bodied Child

“Mommy, you should go to school and learn to drive so that we can go get smoothies.” “Mommy, I will buy you glasses just like daddy’s.”...

Hailey and her journey to thrive with Jordan's Syndrome

Your vision is perfect I was told when I went for my annual eye appointment. I have never had a visual issue and have always seen things...

Siblings & A Special Needs Diagnosis

By Taryn Lagonigro One of my prevailing worries after finding out about Rhea’s Down syndrome diagnosis was for my other three girls. We...

Our Journey with Achondroplasia and Why I Share It

By Katya Skiba ...Achondroplasia. Dwarfism. These are the words that came into common use in our family suddenly and forever. From the...

Harper Ly Foy is beautiful in her own Skin!

Harper Foy, five, needs three long baths a day and constant moisturizing because of a rare skin condition, which makes her skin grow 10...

All You Need Is Love

By Taryn Lagonigro My mom had a twin brother named Robert who was born with a developmental disability - possibly from a prenatal...

A Smile To Brighten Any Day: Our Journey With Dravet Syndrome

By Ashley Walker Benjamin Hello friends! I would love you to meet my happy, kind souled son, Mikes. He is one of the most beautiful...