One Year Later: How You Changed Pediatric Care

It was one year ago that WithAll launched our medical education course, What to Say Healthcare. I am really proud of this program. 

I’m proud of it as WithAll’s executive director—as providers tell us it is so helpful and practical—providing information to help pediatric patients they did not get in medical school.

I’m proud of it because I was once that kid—a pediatric patient with a higher BMI, often feeling ashamed of my body. I remember too vividly the sting of well-intended healthcare providers pointing to a growth chart—like a grading scale—and telling me to “watch my weight.” It felt like getting a D in the class of  “girl’s body,” and that shame only fueled the disordered eating, then the eating disorder that followed.

I’m especially proud of it as a parent—just last month, my daughter’s pediatrician shared that their clinic, after participating in What to Say Healthcare, decided to stop including BMI in conversations and after-visit summaries.

Yes to removing numbers kids can’t yet make sense of. Yes to keeping measures in the chart, not in a child’s mind, where they feel like a grade on their body.

What to Say Healthcare exists because of you—the one reading this. You show up, care, and give what you can. It’s because of you that WithAll creates practical solutions and partners to get them to the people who need them—reaching 1,500–2,000 kids for every doctor trained. You help turn painful past experiences into something healing and life-affirming for the next generation. One by one, we move forward… with all who care to join us.

Onward we go, one by one by one…

– Lisa
Executive Director

P.S. If this message speaks to you, consider helping us reach even more kids. A gift of $79 covers the cost for one doctor to complete What to Say Healthcare, impacting the lives of 1,500–2,000 kids. Donate here.

What to Say Healthcare is made possible through the generous support of individual and corporate donors. A special thank you to the McVay Family Foundation and the Paddock Family Foundation for their support.