Too Peas In A Podcast Mandy Hose and Kate Mulholland

Kate and Mandy chat to Kate, a warm and colourful Pea mum from country Victoria with a powerful story about her beloved boys.   Kate’s oldest child Michael has an acquired brain injury and her second child Jack is legally blind. Michael was struck by a car while helping his brother cross the road, and spent six months in hospital recovering, including a month in ICU. He’s now non-verbal and requires constant care, but still goes on plenty of adventures like water skiing and skydiving. Jack is still studying and is currently overseas on exchange in the Czech Republic, and navigating a different life to his peers due to his visual impairment. Kate shares their family’s story with a lot of laughs and a quite few f-bombs so make sure you’ve got your headphones in while listening!  Kate is also currently writing a book about her extraordinary journey with her family. You can follow her on Instagram and keep up to date with her progress - good luck Kate and thank you so much for sharing your story with us!Plus:Listen to our Spotify playlist –Too Peas: Songs Our Guest Peas LoveJoin our Facebook HangoutFind us on YouTubeBuy our book The Invisible Life Of Us!Leave us a speakpipe Help spread the love for Too Peas by rating and reviewing us!Melbourne forecast for Thursday September 21 - Shower or two, 15 degreesThank you for supporting Too Peas In A Podcast! We love to hear from you, please contact us here: Website: www.toopeasinapodcast.com.auEmail: toopeaspodcast@gmail.com

This week, Kate flys solo chatting to Pea Dad Phil, CEO of Wallara, a leading provider of adult disability support services in Melbourne’s southeast. Phil has a young adult daughter Phoebe who has an intellectual disability and is non-verbal. Following a 12-year stint working all over the world for the NBA, Phil took on the CEO role at Wallara. Wallara provides innovative support for people to grow, work, explore and live while also educating and engaging the community to drive inclusion. Wallara provides learning and lifestyle support, employment opportunities, supported housing, social and recreational activities and more. Wallara also runs a farm and cafe that welcomes over 15,000 visitors a year and has partnerships with organisations such as the St Kilda Football Club.  Kate and Phil have a robust discussion from a parent’s view about education, inclusion, ableism, choice, opportunities, wages and the Disability Support Pension and more! Find out more about Wallara on their website, head down and visit the Sages Cottage Cafe & Farm and make sure you check out  WallaraTV on YouTube.  Thanks for chatting with us Phil!Plus:Listen to our Spotify playlist –Too Peas: Songs Our Guest Peas LoveJoin our Facebook HangoutFind us on YouTubeBuy our book The Invisible Life Of Us!Leave us a speakpipe Help spread the love for Too Peas by rating and reviewing us!Melbourne forecast for Thursday September 14 - Becoming windy, mostly sunny,  24 degreesThank you for supporting Too Peas In A Podcast! We love to hear from you, please contact us here: Website: www.toopeasinapodcast.com.auEmail: toopeaspodcast@gmail.com

Mandy and Kate chat to Sarah, twin mum and founder of Wholesome Blends, Australasia’s first real food option for enteral feeding. Sarah was inspired to start Wholesome Blends by her twin son Lewis, who at the age of three, unexpectedly suffered a stroke and developed a hemiplegia.  As a result, Lewis found the gross motor tasks of eating and swallowing to be very difficult and unpleasant. A subsequent diagnosis of ADHD also complicated matters, as Lewis also experienced the appetite suppressant effects of the ADHD medication, so Lewis was struggling to take in enough nutritious food to support his growth and development. After a rectum comment of being told to choose whether her son would eat or learn, Sarah was determined to find a better solution for Lewis. Permanent tube feeding was the best option, but the blends available were high in sugar in not very appealing. So, Sarah founded Wholesome Blends! Wholesome Blends are created by an Executive Chef in consultation with a Senior Dietitian and tested by Lewis, Chief Tubie of the company. Each pouch of Wholesome Blends is high in calories and contains nothing but fresh fruits, vegetables and proteins, with no added sugars, preservatives or additives. Check out the Wholesome Blends website for more information on the flavours and stockists. You can also find them on Facebook and Instagram Thank you for sharing your family’s story with us Sarah! Plus:Listen to our Spotify playlist –Too Peas: Songs Our Guest Peas LoveJoin our Facebook HangoutFind us on YouTubeBuy our book The Invisible Life Of Us!Leave us a speakpipe Help spread the love for Too Peas by rating and reviewing us!Melbourne forecast for Thursday September 7 - Showers increasing, windy,  22 degreesThank you for supporting Too Peas In A Podcast! We love to hear from you, please contact us here: Website: www.toopeasinapodcast.com.auEmail: toopeaspodcast@gmail.com

Today, Mandy and Kate chat with the amazing powerhouse Haney.Mandy met Haney on the sidelines of Molly's Special Olympics soccer game, and they hit it off straight away. Haney runs Holistic Quality Support. A fresh new, exciting support service! Holistic Quality Support is a Melbourne owned and operated organisation established to provide care and support in an environment that encourages itsmembers to learn essential life skills all whilst developing social skills, relationships and most importantly confidence in our teams ability to navigate theireveryday lives as independently as possible.admin@holisticqualitysupport.com.auPlus:Listen to our Spotify playlist –Too Peas: Songs Our Guest Peas LoveJoin our Facebook HangoutFind us on YouTubeBuy our book The Invisible Life Of Us!Leave us a speakpipe Help spread the love for Too Peas by rating and reviewing us!Melbourne forecast for Thursday August 30 15 degrees and raining.Thank you for supporting Too Peas In A Podcast! We love to hear from you, please contact us here: Website: www.toopeasinapodcast.com.auEmail: toopeaspodcast@gmail.com

Mandy went on an excursion to the Special Olympics Victorian State Games with her roving podcast mic and chatted with impressive young athletes and leaders Harry and Chelsea. Harry and Chelsea were attending the games following their trip to Berlin, where they represented Australia at the Special Olympics World Games 2023. First, Harry talks about all the amazing experiences, friendships and fun he enjoyed at the Games. Harry also talks about his time in the Special Olympics Athlete Leadership Program, where he learned leadership and communication skills and gained opportunities to provide feedback and consultation on making the Games the best experience possible. This outstanding young leader also chats about his qualifications and his current work as Allied Health Assistant at a Melbourne hospital. Next, Chelsea talks about her Berlin games experience, and her current role in the Athlete Leadership Program, where she’s developing valuable skills, building relationships and finding opportunities to share her story, feel included and represent her country. This young powerhouse is also the Athlete’s Representative on the Law Enforcement Torch Run International Executive Council, where she is the representative for over 5 million athletes around the world, and only the second non-American athlete to hold the position.  Kate joins Mandy to chat with Anna Mezger, Harry’s mum and a Special Olympics Australia board member. She gives both a parent and board members view of the Special Olympics World Games, and all of the learnings she's gained from attending the largest inclusive sporting event in the world, attended by 7000 athletes and 18000 volunteers! Find out more about Special Olympics Plus:Listen to our Spotify playlist –Too Peas: Songs Our Guest Peas LoveJoin our Facebook HangoutFind us on YouTubeBuy our book The Invisible Life Of Us!Leave us a speakpipe Help spread the love for Too Peas by rating and reviewing us!Melbourne forecast for Thursday August 24 - Partly cloudy, 17 degreesThank you for supporting Too Peas In A Podcast! We love to hear from you, please contact us here: Website: www.toopeasinapodcast.com.auEmail: toopeaspodcast@gmail.com

Mandy chats with Kathy Adams, a physiotherapea with 35 years of experience working with children and families. Kathy is passionate about providing encouragement, support and tools to help parents have fun with their children, help them grow, thrive and chase their goals and dreams together. Kathy’s long and successful career started at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital, where many years later, she provided physiotherapy to Mandy’s twin daughters Milly and Molly following their dual leg surgeries. Kathy now works in the community providing physiotherapy to children and also mentors and supports newer physiotherapists to develop their skills. With soccer all the rage in Australia at the moment with the current FIFA Women’s World Cup underway on our shores, this was the ideal time to hear about Kathy’s new all-abilities soccer program that she’s started up in Melbourne’s outer eastern suburbs.  Kathy was the Vice President of the Maroondah United Football Club, and was well aware that finding appropriate and engaging sports for kids with disabilities and special needs can be very tough for Pea families. Inspired by one of the club’s coaches, whose soccer-loving daughter sadly passed away, Kathy finally started the all-abilities team so that he could coach and participate in her honour, while also providing new opportunities for local peashoots keen to participate and belong in a sports team. It’s been a great success! The all-abilities team has approximately 21 children taking part each fortnight, having fun, smashing through smilestones and finding friendships and new connections in a place that’s inclusive and welcoming.  Based in Croydon, check out the Maroondah United Football Club’s Facebook page and get in touch if you’d like your child to be involved, volunteer or donate!  You can also get in touch with Football Australia to search for information about all-abilities clubs around Australia. Go Matildas and go Maroondah United Football Club All-Abilities team! Plus:Listen to our Spotify playlist –Too Peas: Songs Our Guest Peas LoveJoin our Facebook HangoutFind us on YouTubeBuy our book The Invisible Life Of Us!Leave us a speakpipe Help spread the love for Too Peas by rating and reviewing us!Melbourne forecast for Thursday August 17 - Showers increasing, 15 degreesThank you for supporting Too Peas In A Podcast! We love to hear from you, please contact us here: Website: www.toopeasinapodcast.com.auEmail: toopeaspodcast@gmail.com