LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansans are taking over the “digital dial.”
A growing number of podcasts are being developed in the Natural State, and they reflect the many things Arkansans love to do and that make the state unique.
Heather Honaker said she enjoys listening to podcasts. “The personal stories,” she explained. “You connect with people, and really hear more about them and their experiences.”
On a recent Tuesday morning, however, she was the one sharing her experience. She was the featured guest on an episode of “Live. Learn. & Play,” a podcast created by Arkansas Children’s.
Rebecca Brockman, who hosts the podcast and runs the social media accounts for the health care system, said she and the rest of the marketing team began working on the project last year.
“I had just recently started listening to podcasts,” she recalled, “and it was a great way to get information while I was getting ready in the morning. So, I thought this would be great for other parents.”
They have recorded a handful of episodes so far. Most feature parents discussing the treatments their children have required. Others have interviews with staff members, including a nurse who works with the Angel One helicopter team.
“I think a lot of people are interested in what we do here,” Brockman said, “and—unless you’re a patient here—you might not know.”
Honaker knows well. She has two children: Jack, 3 years old, and Ellie, 14 months old. During a prenatal checkup, she learned that Ellie would be born with Down’s Syndrome and congenital heart defects.
“You know, you think about a kid laying in a hospital bed. She was in the hospital for nearly six months from the beginning of her life,” she said.
But now, Ellie is energetic, happy, and curious about everything her brother does. Honaker credits the cardiovascular team at Arkansas Children’s Hospital for her daughter’s recovery.
“And we knew from that first visit that it was like a family,” she stated. “They had taken the time to get to know about us and get to know about Jack, and they took the time to give us tours of the facility and let us know what to expect once we were inpatient here. There was no question of where we would go.”
While the parents who appear on “Live. Learn. & Play” have happy endings to their stories, Brockman said the interviews can be tough to do.
“Sometimes there’s tears,” she said. “It’s an emotional process for the parents to share. But it’s been neat to meet these patients and their families and hear about their experience, and to see how their kids are doing now.”
Health care is not a common topic for a podcast, but Brockman believes the 15- to 20-minute episodes of “Live. Learn. & Play” can reach people in ways social media cannot. “I think, when they hear about the patient who had cleft and lip palate repair, like, they might not know we do that,” she said. “So, it’s definitely an educational resource, as well. So, we have a lot of stories to tell.”
Honaker said she was one of the parents who were unaware of the breadth of services Arkansas Children’s offers. She said Jack’s was an easy pregnancy, so she did not know what to expect when Ellie’s proved difficult.
“We wouldn’t be where we are today without Children’s Hospital,” she stated. “Our story is completely different because of Children’s.”
So far, Brockman said, the audience for “Live. Learn. & Play” is a couple hundred people. But she believes, as the popularity of podcasts continues to grow, “Live. Learn. & Play” could change lives, just like the doctors and nurses at Children’s do.
“We really want to create a community where parents who are, maybe, going through similar situations, can listen to the podcast and hear from other families,” she said, “and know that it’s going to be okay.”
Honaker said she felt awkward at times having a large microphone in front of her face during the interview, she was happy to revisit some of the heartbreaking moments that led her to the medical team that saved her daughter. “I just hope that people hear more about Children’s Hospital and all of the great things they have to offer,” she said.
Honaker's episode will be the sixth since the podcast debuted in February. Episodes of "Live. Learn. & Play" are available on Arkansas Children's website, as well as the Apple and Google podcast libraries.