We’re so excited to be starting 2023 with the launch of our CLDF podcasts. Young people’s officer, Louise, explains how the idea came about.
We know how our young people love to be able to share their experiences on Hive Hangouts and Drop ins. It’s a great way of helping others understand what they may encounter on their liver journey. We also know, however, that not everyone is comfortable with joining in Zoom calls with others whom they may not know. We came up with the idea of podcasts as it would mean that young people can listen to other people’s experiences when they are free and comfortable to do so.
We all know how valuable it is to learn from people who have experienced what you are going through and at CLDF we are lucky to have so many young people who are willing to share their stories and keen that they should be a source of comfort to others. Through podcasts, we can make these available to every young person who would like to hear them, regardless of whether they can be available at a particular date and time to join in a Hive Hangout.
We’ve recorded six podcasts so far and I’d like to say a big thank you to those of you who agreed to help us launch this project. It’s been lovely to spend time chatting away and learning more – even about those I thought I knew well! I have also learnt some valuable new skills myself as I’d never previously done any audio recording or editing!
Roisin was among the first to be interviewed for a podcast and was very happy to get involved. ”I love listening to podcasts myself, and it was exciting to think that I could be in one,” she says. “I’m always happy to educate people about liver disease so I thought it was a great way of spreading awareness in a new way.
“The whole experience was super simple – Louise did all the hard work! All I had to do was talk, which I have been told that I am good at! I have always been really open about my journey with my liver disease and transplant. I talk about the good, bad and the ugly. I’d like to think that being open and honest about everything will help educate people who don’t understand what liver disease in young people means and also help others that are on a similar journey to myself. Or perhaps give some reassurance to parents of a young child with liver disease and show that they can live a normal life just with a few adaptations.”
Our first podcast will be available here on Friday January 6 and we’ll be adding new ones every two weeks. If you have a subject you would like us to cover or, even better, if you’re a young person who would be happy to share their own experience please contact me at ypo@childliverdisease.org. I would love to hear from you –and be assured, you may not think your story is important, but it could make a real difference to someone else.
