The Eye of the Storm: One Mother's Story of Raising a Transgender Child

In this episode of Made Possible by Parenthood, Lindsay and Charlie are joined by Dr. Varisa Perlman — pediatrician, mother, and what Lindsay describes as a "master responder" — for one of the most profound conversations the podcast has hosted. Dr. P shares her family's story with extraordinary openness and grace: from her own journey of finding her true self through medical school, to supporting her husband's leap from medicine to law, to walking alongside her cshild Izzy through gender dysphoria, depression, suicidality, and ultimately into joy and self-expression. At the heart of this conversation is a simple but powerful idea: that the only way through life's storms is to become the eye of them. Together they explore: The concept of "correcting the dissonance" — and how Dr. P has returned to this thread again and again throughout her life What it really means to be present with your child, beyond just putting your phone down How Dr. P supported her husband's career transition — and what that taught her about holding space for the people we love The journey of raising a transgender child through gender dysphoria and into their truest self Why fear and guilt are poison for parents — and how to begin releasing them The incredible role COVID played in opening a door for Izzy's transition Why children are born the way they are to heal the family "You cannot go through the chaos of life not being able to be centered. You must be the eye of the storm."