Rephonic
Artwork for The Rare Life

The Rare Life

Madeline Cheney
Disability Parenting
Family Dynamics
Medical Complexities
Parenting
Community Support
Friendship
Mental Health
Sexual Intimacy
Support Systems
Hospitalization
Disabled Children
Glass Children
Holidays
Grief
Sibling Relationships
Children's Health
Emotional Support
Caregiving
Rare Disease Day Fundraiser
Community Building

This is the real, raw, and all the feels of loving a child with disabilities. Episodes feature parent-guests, professionals, and solo episodes with host Madeline Cheney. Their authentic conversations don’t shy away from the strong and mixed emotions that often accompany medically-complex parenting. Parents listen in to feel seen, validated, and receive much-needed solidarity. Professionals working... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes278Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Kids & FamilyParenting

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for The Rare Life

Latest Episodes

Season 12 is coming to a close, and it’s been a season of big shifts. With Alyssa stepping in to host every episode and Madeline handling more behind-the-scenes projects, the podcast sounded a little different, but still hit all the same emotional no... more

When a family member rejects your disabled or medically complex child, whether through subtle distancing or outright exclusion, it creates a kind of hurt that’s difficult to shake.

In this episode, Madeline and Alyssa talk through the many ways tha... more

Today’s episode is a quick moment to pause and say thank you. Your messages about feeling understood, less isolated, and more connected remind us why TRL exists in the first place. Hearing how this podcast fits into your NICU nights, med routines, or... more

When you have a child with a disability or other medical complexity, the holidays can feel like a minefield, as trauma triggers, anxiety, and grief for what we wish the holidays could have been for our families lurk around every corner.

And on top o... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

Recent Guests

Abbey Benjamin
A mother and former pediatric nurse navigating the complexities of raising a child with an ultra-rare diagnosis.
Not provided
Episode: 204: Abbey's Story | An Ultra-rare Diagnosis, Shifting perspectives + Holding onto Faith
Roya Malika
A disability parent sharing her journey and insights
Episode: 201: Roya's Story | A Diagnosis Without a Map, Learning to Advocate + the Journey Back to Herself
Stephanie Stanley
Grieving mother and advocate for parents navigating child loss
Episode: 200: Facing End of Life Choices + The Way Life Changes After Child Loss w/ Stephanie Stanley
Kristen Henry
An adoptive mother who navigated infertility and adoption, discovering her daughter has cystic fibrosis
Episode: 199: Adopting a Medically Complex Child w/ Kristen Henry
Ashley Kaywood
Mother who experienced complex pregnancies and lengthy NICU stay for her son Bim
Episode: 198: Ashley’s Story | A Year in the NICU, Impossible Choices + Complex Joy
Madeline Cheney
Founder and President at The Rare Life
The Rare Life
Episode: 197: When Meaningful Friendship with Other Disability Parents Feels Elusive w/ Madeline Cheney
Ali Platt
Mother of Paisley, who has Eosinophilic Esophagitis, sharing her journey and struggles in parenting a child with a rare syndrome.
Episode: 195: Ali’s Story | An Invisible Disability, Living in Survival Mode + Giving Up Her Dream Career
Jessica Loey
Mother discussing the emotional complexities of parenting a child with disabilities.
Episode: Mixed Feelings When Your Child’s Health Stabilizes w/ Jessica Loey
Chrissy McGuire
Yoga teacher and mindfulness coach, single mom to two children with disabilities.
Episode: Mindfulness for Medical Parents w/ Chrissy McGuire

Hosts

Madeline Cheney
Host and founder, Madeline brings personal experience as a parent navigating the challenges of raising a child with disabilities. Her insights focus on fostering community and understanding the emotional complexities that come with these experiences.
Alyssa Newtile
Co-host who shares her journey alongside Madeline, contributing insights on the challenges and triumphs of parenting children with disabilities. Alyssa emphasizes community support and the importance of communication.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 279 ratings
  • A lifeline

    Such a good listen! The topics and interviews are real and relatable. It’s hard to find people who “get” my experience, and this podcast feels like talking with friends. They work hard to include a variety of voices and experiences, and their online (IG) content is thoughtful, inclusive and relatable too.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    A rare mom
    United States3 months ago
  • A Very Meaningful Podcast

    I found The Rare Life early on in my disability parenting journey, and I’ve committed to listening ever since. Madeline and her team work hard to share stories and address topics that truly make rare families feel less alone. Each episode is created with so much intention and love. I would absolutely recommend! I look forward to listening in for many years to come.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ReneeWray
    United States3 months ago
  • Awesome

    As a parent of a child with a disability and medical complexities this podcast meets me right where I am. I enjoy listening and have listened for several years.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    DuckFaninOregon
    United States9 months ago
  • Just what I needed

    As a parent of a child with a disability, this podcast has truly saved my sanity! Simply hearing that I am not alone and that what my husband and I go through is an experience shared by so many is extremely comforting. I wish I could meet all of these amazing parents that are shared on this podcast.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jerichokauai
    United States10 months ago
  • A belonging I longed for

    Thank You Madeline, so much for The Rare Life. Your content touches more people than you may think. I am a mother of a medically complex child, though he does not have a rare diagnosis of any kind. I had a complicated pregnancy and traumatic birth with my son Vincent, who arrived unduly early at 25 weeks gestation. Due to his very early arrival, he has a laundry list of diagnoses. He’s now 17 months and I only recently saw “medically complex child” written in his medical record. Interestingly en... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    littlebit322
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Many find this podcast to be a lifeline, providing validation and support in their parenting journeys.
Listeners appreciate the authenticity and raw emotions surrounding parenting children with disabilities.
The conversations are deemed heartfelt, insightful, and immensely relatable, helping listeners feel connected and understood.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

204: Abbey's Story | An Ultra-rare Diagnosis, Shifting perspectives + Holding onto Faith
Q: How has faith played a role in your journey?
Faith has been essential, even through hard questioning; it provides strength despite the suffering of watching a child deal with medical issues.
204: Abbey's Story | An Ultra-rare Diagnosis, Shifting perspectives + Holding onto Faith
Q: What would you say to a family who's kind of at the beginning right now?
It's important to feel the moments of sadness but not get stuck; there's still beauty despite the challenges.
199: Adopting a Medically Complex Child w/ Kristen Henry
Q: Did you have much experience with disability prior to Joanna walking into this?
Kristen notes that her experience with disability was limited, but she had worked as a behavior analyst for autistic children and teens, which provided her some perspective.
199: Adopting a Medically Complex Child w/ Kristen Henry
Q: What did the process of adoption look like for your family?
Kristen describes the private adoption route they took, mentioning the importance of adopting a child from as young an age as possible to learn parenting from early on.
199: Adopting a Medically Complex Child w/ Kristen Henry
Q: What brought you to adoption?
Kristen shares that their decision to adopt came after several years of struggling with infertility, leading them to feel a need to change direction.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Rare Life

What is The Rare Life about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Focused on the complex journey of parenting children with disabilities, this series explores the emotional depth and challenges faced by parents in this unique experience. Each episode features genuine conversations with parent guests and professionals, delving into various topics such as emotional struggles, community support, navigating medical complexities, and the interpersonal dynamics affected by disability. The content is particularly aimed at providing validation and a sense of belonging to listeners, helping them feel less isolated in their experiences. Additionally, the discussions often highlight personal stories of resilience, offering insights to both parents and professionals on the nuanced realities of raising medically compl... more

Where can I find podcast stats for The Rare Life?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Rare Life. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Rare Life and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Rare Life get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Rare Life, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for The Rare Life?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Rare Life, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does The Rare Life have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Rare Life has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

How many episodes of The Rare Life are there?

The Rare Life launched 6 years ago and published 278 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Rare Life?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Rare Life?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Rare Life from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Rare Life?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Rare Life. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on The Rare Life?

Recent guests on The Rare Life include:

1. Abbey Benjamin
2. Roya Malika
3. Stephanie Stanley
4. Kristen Henry
5. Ashley Kaywood
6. Madeline Cheney
7. Ali Platt
8. Jessica Loey

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days