“The moment my daughter was born I knew something was wrong.” (Audience caller)

When Jess approached me in the elevator of our New York City apartment building nearly a decade ago, neither of us could have imagined the beautiful friendship that would blossom from that moment. Over the years, I've seen Jess transform as a person and a mother, especially when her second daughter was born with Down syndrome. This diagnosis came as a surprise at birth after genetic testing gave no indication of chromosomal abnormalities and it completely changed the course of Jess's life. She has since become the co-founder of Extra Lucky Moms, a space for parents of children with disabilities, and is a fierce advocate for this community. In today's episode, Jess completely opens up as we push past the comfortable questions and get into the taboo topics you'd struggle to ask the parent of a child with disabilities. Sponsors:  Babbel: Get up to 60% off your Babbel subscription at Babbel.com/LUCIEFINK  Watch this episode in video form on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjmevEcbh5h5FEX0pazPEtN86t7eb2OgX   To apply to be a guest on the show, visit luciefink.com/apply and send us your story.  I also want to extend a special thank you to East Love for the show's theme song, Rolling Stone.  Follow the show on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealstuffpod   Find Lucie here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciebfink/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@luciebfink  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/luciebfink  Website: https://luciefink.com/  Produced by Cloud10 and Clamor.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Om Podcasten

The Real Stuff is a weekly podcast series hosted by Lucie Fink who has spent the past decade getting curious and creating engaging and educational content for an audience of millions. On this show, you won’t hear your favorite guests talk about things they typically share — rather, Lucie pulls them deep into some of the world’s most taboo topics, asking intensely personal questions about sex, money, and mental health, all in an effort to help you feel less alone as you navigate through the world. And the best part: we want to invite YOU onto the show. Apply to call in as an anonymous guest at luciefink.com/apply. Pop in your voyeuristic headphones, or call in and spill your secrets! Visit Lucie on Instagram (@luciebfink) and find the show across social media @therealstuffpod.