Behind the Capes Podcast

💙 TO THE PARENTS WHO HAVE LEARNED TO TRUST THEIR GUT…

There comes a moment in this journey when you stop second-guessing yourself.

You know when something isn’t right.

You know when your child needs one more test, one more opinion, one more advocate in the room.

Sometimes your instincts will be questioned.

Sometimes you’ll wonder if you’re overreacting.

But time and time again, you’ve learned that your intuition matters.

Trust what you know.

Keep asking questions.

Keep advocating.

Keep showing up.

If this is your story…

We see you. 💛

And as always…

We’re so glad you’re here.

💬 Has there been a time when trusting your gut made all the difference for your child? We’d love to hear your story.

💙❤️ A Quick Update from Behind the Capes ❤️💙

Friends…

Tomorrow was supposed to be the release of our one-year anniversary episode, and we couldn’t wait to celebrate this milestone with you.

The episode is recorded and ready to go, but because of an unexpected personal circumstance, we’ll be releasing it a little later this week instead.

One of the things we’ve always tried to do at Behind the Capes is be real. Life doesn’t always follow a schedule, and sometimes the people behind the microphones need to give each other a little extra grace.

Thank you for your patience, your understanding, and for being part of this incredible community over the past year.

We can’t wait to celebrate one year of Behind the Capes with you a little later this week. 💛

And as always…

We’re so glad you’re here.

Today my heart is heavy. 💙💛

Like so many in the Down syndrome community, I woke up to the heartbreaking news that Cristina from Born This Way unexpectedly passed away.

I watched Born This Way when it first aired—years before I ever became a mom. At the time, I loved seeing adults with Down syndrome working, dating, living on their own, getting engaged, getting married, advocating for themselves, and chasing their dreams. It was a side of the disability community that so many people had never been shown.

Now, watching it as Kyrian’s mom, it means even more.

The show gave families hope. It challenged stereotypes. It reminded the world that people with Down syndrome deserve every opportunity to live full, meaningful lives.

Cristina’s infectious smile, humor, and determination touched so many people—including those of us who never had the privilege of meeting her.

Our hearts are with her family, friends, and the entire Born This Way family during this unimaginable loss.

If you’ve never watched the series, I truly encourage you to. It’s more than a reality show—it’s a beautiful reminder of what’s possible when people are supported, included, and celebrated for exactly who they are.

Rest easy, Cristina. Thank you for helping change the way the world sees Down syndrome. ❤️

-Kayla

It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that our daughter, Cristina, passed away Monday morning. She suffered a sudden cardiac arrest while at her Day Program and was rushed to the hospital. Despite the doctors' best efforts to stabilize her heart, she did not survive. We are grateful that we were able to be by her side at the end.
Her death was a total shock and unexpected. We will forever treasure the gift of her life. We will all carry in our hearts the wonderful “Cristina moments” that she gave us.

❤️❤️

😂 A while back I asked ChatGPT to turn this family picture into an album cover…

…and honestly? I think it understood the assignment. 😆🎵

But in all seriousness…

If you’ve listened to Behind the Capes for a while, you’ve probably heard me mention Uncle DJ and Uncle Jake more than once.

They’re two of Kyrian’s biggest fans, biggest cheerleaders, and the kind of uncles every kid deserves.

One of the biggest lessons this journey has taught me is that our superhero kids aren’t raised by just one or two people—they’re surrounded by a village.

For us, that village includes family, friends, therapists, doctors, teachers, and so many others who love Kyrian exactly as he is.

This picture may look like we’re about to drop our first hit album…

But to me, it’s really a picture of love, acceptance, laughter, and the incredible people helping raise one amazing little boy. 💙💛

Now we want to know…

💛 Who’s part of your village? Tag someone who’s made a difference in your family’s journey.

❤️🤍💙 Happy Fourth of July! 💙🤍❤️

Today, we hope you get to celebrate in whatever way works best for your family.

Whether you’re watching fireworks, skipping them because of sensory needs, celebrating from a hospital room, staying home with medical equipment, or simply enjoying a quiet day together…

We hope today brings moments of joy, laughter, and togetherness.

There is no “right” way to celebrate.

The best celebrations are the ones where your family feels safe, comfortable, and loved.

From all of us at Behind the Capes, we wish you a happy and peaceful Independence Day.

And as always…

We’re so glad you’re here. 💛

💛 TO THE PARENTS…

Today we’re thinking about the parents answering insurance calls on their lunch break.

The ones sitting in their car making phone calls.

The ones spending their “free time” fighting for approvals, coverage, equipment, therapies, and medications.

The ones repeating the same story over and over to different departments.

The ones who know hold music by heart.

The ones who have learned persistence because giving up isn’t an option.

Most people see a phone call.

You know it’s advocacy.

You know it’s another way you’re showing up for your child.

If this is part of your story, we want you to know:

We see the paperwork.
We see the phone calls.
We see the hours nobody talks about.

And we see you. 💛

Feel free to share this on your page!

Words Matter. Let’s Get It Right 💙💛

💙❤️ One Year Behind the Capes ❤️💙

It’s hard to believe that in just a few days, Behind the Capes will celebrate its first birthday. 🎉

This past year has been filled with incredible conversations, amazing guests, lots of learning, plenty of laughs, and a few tears.

Life has also happened.

Between work, school, appointments, family, vacations, and everything that comes with raising our own superhero kids, finding time to record isn’t always easy.

But Behind the Capes has always been about something bigger than a perfectly consistent schedule.

It’s about creating a community where medical parents, special needs families, and caregivers feel seen, supported, and a little less alone.

Whether you’ve listened to one episode or every episode, thank you for being part of this journey.

We’re not going anywhere.

We’re taking the time we need to balance life and family, and we’ll be back behind the microphones soon with more stories, more laughs, more honesty, and more conversations that remind us none of us are walking this road alone.

As we get ready to celebrate one year, we’d love to hear from you…

💛 What’s been your favorite episode so far?
💛 Is there a topic you’d love us to cover in Year Two?

Thank you for making this first year so special.

And as always…

We’re so glad you’re here. 💛