Walking with Freya

I don’t have a great intro to this article. I guess because I can’t claim a direct connection and there’s no stupid joke to be made. I guess I’ll just dive in. I had the pleasure this past week of talking with Anne Fricke, the creator and host of Walking with Freya; a Journey through Special Needs Parenting.

My podcast is for parents and caregivers of children and adults with special needs. First off, it’s a place for me to kind of tell our story, but I also interview other parents, I’ve interviewed some therapist… I’m trying to create a community where people feel safe and really tell their stories and talk about some of these issues that come up and some of the challenges we have in a space that doesn’t feel judgmental.

Anne’s daughter Freya has Prader-Willi syndrome, which is a rare genetic disorder that most people have never heard of. When Freya was diagnosed around five years ago, Anne started blogging about how they were doing and the journey they were on in order to cut down on the constant retellings at gatherings with family and friends.

[The blog] was kind of a resource for my friends. Then I started another podcast… which got me thinking about the podcast world and I thought that this would be a great way to tell our story and to have other people on to tell their story.

While Anne knows the importance of community and the need for support from those in similar situations, she is aware that there is a place for boundaries. With a six-year-old daughter that will grow up to possibly listen to the podcast, Anne is careful not to say anything that may one day embarrass Freya. However, even with that awareness, the show does not shy away from the difficulty of the subject matter.

These are really intense stories sometimes that people are telling. Almost every episode, at some point, someone is crying. You know, there’s tears somewhere. So it can be a pretty emotional podcast… It’s intense, but it’s a beautiful project to be doing.

And it is a project that means so much to listeners. Anne has found a pocket in podcasting that lacks a wide variety of shows for parents and caregivers, and she has built a community inside that place.

I had a woman say that listening to the podcast makes her feel less alone. So hearing the feedback from these other parents of how much the podcast is helping them to not feel alone or feel better about the situation or to feel like they have more of a community that somebody understands what their going through and to relate. That’s definitely been the best part.”

Anne is excited to continue to grow the community she has developed because she continues to learn from those willing to tell their stories. From the show to the Facebook group, connections continue to be made and resources shared between people who are eager to give and receive support.

So, if you’re a caregiver or parent of a child or adult with special needs and are looking for community and support, Walking with Freya is the show for you.

Chasing Pods is a Podchaser blog series dedicated to letting our readers know about podcasts they may not have heard of or provide a sneak peek into the making of their favorite podcast. We talk to podcast creators about their journey into podcasting, the creation of their shows, the ups and downs of the work, and what they’re looking forward to for their podcast

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