Dr. Jacqueline Vidosh shares her powerful journey as both an obstetrician and mother to Noah, who has trisomy 18, challenging traditional medical understanding of this condition and providing insights into compassionate patient care. Her story, recently featured in The New York Times, illustrates how medical perspectives on chromosomal conditions can evolve through lived experience, highlighting the spectrum nature of trisomy 18 and the importance of accurate, unbiased counseling.

• Receiving the diagnosis during pregnancy and navigating the emotional process when medical training suggested a fatal outcome
• Discovering that trisomy 18 exists on a spectrum with possibilities beyond what medical textbooks described
• Managing Noah's complex medical needs including ventilator, tracheostomy, and gastrostomy tube while balancing family life
• Advocating for appropriate medical interventions by challenging the assumption that care would be "futile"
• Celebrating Noah's achievements and joys – his love of music, lights, and his unique ways of communication
• Recent medical literature supporting interventions for trisomy 18/13 on a case-by-case basis
• Using the SPIKES protocol for delivering difficult news with respect and compassion
• Implementing trauma-informed care for families experiencing complicated pregnancies and NICU stays

Read more about Noah's story in The New York Times article, available through the free link provided in our show notes.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/31/magazine/trisomy-18-edwards-syndrome-baby-treatment-care.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ak8.JRBu.7-qMQhelsVYx&smid=url-share

00:00:00 Introduction to Trisomy 18 Discussion

00:08:40 Receiving the Diagnosis

00:17:45 Challenging Medical Assumptions

00:27:30 Noah's Daily Life and Care

00:38:20 Joy and Connection with Noah

00:47:10 Navigating the Medical System

00:54:00 Breaking Difficult News Effectively

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