Raising Joy is part of Cook Children’s Joy Campaign, which aims to encourage hope and resilience among children and teens. Cook Children’s Health Care System is located in Fort Worth, Texas and has seen the mental and emotional toll the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on children and their families. In this podcast, hosts Wini King and Dr. Kristen Pyrc explore topics of anxiety, stress, depression, trauma and suicide in order to bring hope and needed resources to struggling children and families. Raising Joy is produced by the public relations team at Cook Children’s. The theme music was created by Raymond Turner from the Sparklefly Recording Studio at Cook Children’s.
Disclaimer: The opinions and advice provided by our guests are not endorsed by Cook Children’s. If you
or someone you know are struggling, please reach out for professional help. Cook Children’s has a list of crisis contact information for youth and families on its website: cookchildrens.org/joy.
Executive Producer:
Winifred “Wini” King
Farewell to Raising Joy: Dr. Powderly on Mental Health Progress and Finding Your Curtain Call
In this powerful final episode, hosts Kristen Pyrc, M.D. and Wini King announce that Raising Joy is going on a hiatus after five successful seasons and over 125 episodes. They celebrate that the mission of the Joy Campaign—to support the mental well-being of children—will absolutely continue at Cook Children's.
To close out their run, they welcome back their very first guest: Kathleen Powderly, M.D. Dr. Powderly was the "canary in the coal mine" who first sounded the alarm on the youth mental health crisis during the pandemic.
She shares vital progress:
Reduced Stigma: Fewer severe suicide attempts and a massive shift in families being willing to seek help earlier, before the situation becomes desperate.
Better Resources: Increased availability of therapists, more insurance options, and the growth of employee assistance programs (EAPs).
Success Stories: Dr. Powderly shares the professional "joy" of seeing her former patients—who accessed help during the crisis—now in college and "better".
To our listeners, thank you for many moments of JOY! We are grateful for each and every one of you. Remember, Just Breathe, Open Up, You Matter!
11 Nov 2025
A Miracle of Resilience and the Power of “I Got This”
Kristen Pyrc, M.D. and Wini King welcome a truly inspiring mother-daughter duo to Raising Joy: Emerson Bucci and her mother, Ashlee. In an episode that celebrates the power of the human spirit, they share Emerson's incredible journey of survival and recovery.
In August 2024, at just 12 years old, Emerson faced a very rare and life-threatening allergic reaction to the common antibiotic Bactrim. Her lungs were severely compromised, leading to a 36-day stay in the ICU at Cook Children's and being placed on ECMO life support.
Tune in to hear:
· The terrifying process of searching for a diagnosis, the family’s emergency transfer, and the very real possibility of a lung transplant.
· How Emerson, despite being on life support, remained fully awake and even did schoolwork.
· The inspiring story behind Emerson's life-affirming catchphrase, "I got this," which became the family's mantra and even inspired a special tattoo.
· Emerson’s deep faith and remarkable maturity in viewing her ordeal as "temporary".
· How this experience has inspired Emerson to pursue a future career as a physical therapist to help others walk their own road to recovery.
This conversation is a powerful testimony to family love, perseverance, and the miracle of hope.
4 Nov 2025
Connecting with Kids During Separation with Author K. Jody Massey
In this heartfelt episode of Raising Joy, Kristen Pyrc, M.D. welcomes Fort Worth author K. Jody Massey to discuss a universal and often difficult topic: parental separation.
Inspired by her own life experiences, Jody created her beautiful children's books, Daddy and Me When Daddy Is Away and Mommy and Me When Mommy's Away.
Jody shares how these books are designed to be a gentle guide and a crucial conversation starter for families navigating time apart—from daycare drop-offs and camp to more complex situations like military deployment, hospital stays, foster care, divorce, and incarceration.
Tune in to discover:
The most important message Jody hopes to convey to every child: Even if a parent is out of sight, they are always in their kids' heart.
How the book’s open-ended style and helpful questions in the back guide parents through these hard, emotional conversations that are often avoided.
The secret messages of hope ("You're loved, you're chosen, you're forgiven") hidden in the illustrations to affirm and support parents and caregivers facing guilt.
The powerful stories of how these books have helped foster families and parents at local prisons maintain a vital connection with their children.
This episode is a loving reminder that connection and open communication can help children—and parents—feel secure, loved, and whole, no matter the distance.
Find Jody's books: Available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and at https://www.kjodymassey.com/ (https://www.kjodymassey.com/).
Who has been a guest on Raising Joy
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Joy Hoffman
Kim Mangham
Tahnae Allen
Brian Miller
Michael Crain
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.8 / 5
37 ratings
Spotify
4.9 / 5
15 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 33 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
31
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
85
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