What I learned when the worst happened, as a parent | Lindsey Wahlstrom | TEDxMtHood

A TEDxMtHood talk in which Lindsey Wahlstrom, a clinical research professional and mother, reflects on the lessons she learned while her daughter Rona was treated for a rare disease. Rona was diagnosed in 2023 and died from the illness that year. Wahlstrom describes how she is finding hope and purpose after the loss, and how her work challenges the way outcomes and helping are defined. Wahlstrom has worked in patient engagement across more than 200 clinical trials. She is co-founder of Rona's FUN LAB, a nonprofit that supports critically ill children and the teams who care for them.

• Personal account of caring for a child during rare disease treatment
• Perspective from a clinical research professional and parent
• Finding hope and purpose after a loss
• Rethinking how success and helping are measured in healthcare

In this deeply personal talk, Lindsey Wahlstrom shares the lessons she learned as both a clinical research professional and a mother navigating her daughter Rona’s rare disease treatment. And how she is finding hope and purpose after her daughter's death. Lindsey Wahlstrom works at the intersection of medical research, caregiving, and meaning-making. After more than a decade supporting patient engagement across 200+ clinical trials, Lindsey’s understanding of success in healthcare was radically reshaped when her daughter, Rona, was diagnosed with and died from a rare disease in 2023. She is the co-founder and Chief Momatologist of Rona’s FUN LAB, a nonprofit supporting critically ill children and the teams who care for them, alongside her ongoing work in patient engagement and research. Her work challenges how we define outcomes — and what it truly means to help. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx