Maryjan Fiala is a dedicated advocate for families of young children who experience recurring or extensive hospitalization. Maryjan’s youngest son was born 17 weeks premature and spent nearly 19 months inpatient between two hospital systems. At the time of his second discharge, her son was ventilator and feeding-tube dependent and required continuous monitoring and care. Maryjan is committed to using her lived experience and professional background in adult learning to enhance patient-provider interactions and parent-provider communication. When sharing her perspective as a parent, Maryjan emphasizes patient-centered care, empathetic and compassionate communication, and cultivating mutual trust. Through the adult learning lens, Maryjan offers insights into the learning journey that begins when a parent is catapulted into the realm of critical health care and the scaffolding necessary for that parent to thrive as an informed advocate and caregiver for their child with chronic illness. In addition to sharing elements of her son’s journey with local medical students and resident physicians, Maryjan has co-presented at regional and national conferences for clinical and allied health providers. She looks forward to providing detailed feedback on presentations to support patient and family engagement.