Hey listeners, if you're on a weight loss journey or just want to be more mindful about your health and wellness, then check out Weight Watchers with over 2000 point foods, aka no tracking, just enjoying Weight Watchers clinic and the award winning Weight Watchers app, achieving balance has never been easier. Weight Watchers fits your needs, whether it's through their clinically proven points program or, for those that medically qualify, access to doctor prescribed weight loss medications and registered dietitians in Weight Watchers clinic. See how Weight Watchers fits you@weightwatchers.com. dot what you're doing is larger than yourself, almost like a religion, like he was a God.

On the turning room of mirrors, we explore a world of lights and music. But it's also a closed society that follows its own rules and expectations, some of them extreme.

It's a tight, tight world, and people are still afraid to talk.

Binge. The full season of the turning room of mirrors now on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts, lemonade.

So Parkinson's is a mother.

Same with dementia, baby. Same with dementia.

Oh my God, it is. I hate it.

Stephanie Whittles Wax is a well known name around here. Steph co founded Limonada Media and hosts the popular show last day about all the sad stuff that brings us together. She's also a mom of two and one of the primary caregivers to her dad, Ellison, who has Parkinson's. Caregiving is no surprises here. Hard work and it's universal. At some point in each one of our lives, we're gonna need care, or we'll have to take care of someone else. Did you know that in the US, at least 53 million people provide unpaid care every day? 53 million. And when caregiving is unpaid and unexpected, it can throw us off balance and force us to rethink everything we have going on. Family, friends, work, finances, the medical system, all of it. But caring is also joyful. And I should know. I'm Yvette Nicole Brown, writer, producer, actress on screen, and even on Broadway for a hot workshop. Second, I'm also the host of this series, squeezed. Now, you might know me from a little show called Community, where I played busybody Shirley Bennett for five seasons. We're sorry we embarrassed you and looked at your prophylactic equipment, your lifestyle mistakes, or none of our business.

Oh, thanks, Shirley.

But what you might not know about me is that I'm a full time caregiver for my dad, Omar. He has Alzheimer's and he's a big part of why I chose to host this series. In 2012, I was back home in Cleveland visiting my family. We were at my aunt Mickey's house cooking dinner, and my dad was driving to meet us. I remember him calling me, saying, yvette, I don't know where I am or where I'm going. He sounded really confused. Dad had gotten lost on the way over. Even though he had been making that same drive for decades, I knew something was going on with him that he couldn't control. So I told myself that as soon as I got a break from community, I was going to go home and get my dad. About a year later, after community's cancelation, well, exactly three days after community's cancelation, I found myself back in Cleveland, packing up his apartment to move him out to Los Angeles to live with me. I'll never forget how weary and frail and small he looked when I first got there. His hair and beard were so overgrown, he looked like father time from the old rankin and bass Christmas cartoons.

Seeing him like that broke my heart, but I knew it was gonna get better. I recently celebrated ten years of looking after my dad full time. I say celebrate it because it's truly been a gift to be able to be there for him the way he was for me when I was a kid. And we have fun. But that doesn't mean that I don't have those moments where I want to wrap myself up in a big blanket, put on my bonnet for the night, and be responsible for absolutely no one else for five days. At the very least in this series, I'll be speaking with caregivers across the country, like me and you or future you, about the dramatic and also very normal moments we experience every day while caring for our loved ones.

How do I love this as much as I do and give it the passion that I want to give it while still not neglecting the rest of my life.

My mom doesn't need me to be running around and creating all the things my mom actually needs me to be, sitting next to her and holding her hand. There are jokes. There is laughter. There's beauty. There's joy. There's also sadness and tears. But there's also, like, awe.

There's always a light at the end of the tunnel.

At the end of the tunnel.

And we hope it's not an oncoming train.

No, I know it's not an oncoming train. This is squeezed. I'm your host, Yvette Nicole Brown. Episode one, meet Steph.

Okay, what did we just do? We hiked. How far? 4500.

Steps?

Really? Not that consequential. Are we out of breath? Of course. So, middle aged, what did you start taking a week ago, Mike? A cholesterol med. Yeah, and now I'm all backed up. Okay, well, you want the real shit? I'll give you it.

Those people gasping for breath are Steph and her husband, Mike, a graphic designer who just recently became a stay at home dad. Steph and Mike are in their forties and have two kids, Iris, ten, and Harry, six. They live in a picturesque small town on the central coast of California with a lot going for it, like a monarch butterfly sanctuary and a park called Lovers Point. Steph's mom and daddy, Mo and Ellison live there, too, and they all spend a whole lot of time together. On any night of the week, Mo's hanging out at Steph's house, playing legos with Harry, helping iris organize her room for the hundredth time. Or prepping dinner.

What are you guys making?

Pancakes. Oh, the cinnamon. Dinner.

Dinner. It's dinner. It's dinner. Dinner. Pancakes for that. Breakfast for dinner. How many pancakes are you gonna make? Five or 14.

Yeah, or 14.

Same. You can never have too many packets.

You can never.

That's what I always say.

Depends on how big you want them to be, too.

Smells gooey and plump.

Gooey and plump.

But because of Ellison's Parkinson's, he isn't able to be as present in those everyday moments. Ellison, who's 81, has been living in a nearby nursing home for the past two years. Nearby as in, Steph can wade to the building from her driveway.

Okay, let's go in and see. Bapa. Look who is showered and sitting in a chair.

It's like a real person.

Well, your granddaughter came to share something with you.

Oh, hi, baby. How are you?

I'm good.

You look wonderful.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

I have a surprise for you.

I love surprises. What do you got there for me, sweetie?

I advanced.

You advanced?

Yeah.

She's in the next round.

Really?

Will, the spelling bee.

Isn't that wonderful? Congratulations.

I love that you're watching. Bravo. When did this start?

I just was going through the channels.

This is what you should be watching. This is entertainment.

You might see parts of yourself and Steph, you know, two kids, a demanding job, caring for an aging parent. It turns out more than half of all Americans in their forties are part of what's known as the sandwich generation. This means they're squeezed between two generations, their kids and their parents. Being the go to person for our aging parents is something Steph and I have in common. So we got on a video call to talk about it. Now the world knows her as the queen of darkness and light, but I wanted to know how she saw herself.

It's so funny. Who am I to myself? The first thing that came in my mind was a math. I mean. I mean, it's like the queen of darkness in life.

No?

Just trying to get through every moment of the day. Yeah, I'm a good juggler. I'm a good balancer. There's a lot of balls in the air at any given time, and Mike and I do a lot of negotiation around. Well, I need to go here, and you're taking Iris here, and I'm taking Harry here. Mom, come in the house for ten minutes. Right, Rebecca. Gotta run to the store. Harry, you know, he has so many OT appointments. He has an OT appointment on Friday mornings. He has an OT appointment that he calls friend OT. That's like working on social skills. He has a swimming lesson on Thursday, which is also, like, part of his physicality. Iris, she decided she is a woman of the stage. So now, you know, she wants to do musical theater, two different places, and dance and singing and vocal lessons.

Da da, da da.

And we are a family. I think that pedals in. Mutual adoration and fun and love. And a lot of stuff has been really heavy, I would say, over the last decade, but you don't get that vibe when you're in the room. It's mostly laughter, jokes, voices, dancing, singing, lots of music. With my parents, I. Yeah, you know, with my dad, it's. I'm always worried and trying to make sure he's okay. And my mom is, like, finally coming out of a real darkness, I think a real sense of loss of her son. And she's like, I'm gonna get a tattoo that says, if not now, when? I'm like, go.

Yes, mo. Do it.

Do it. She's really thriving, and I love that for her, and my dad isn't, and I hate that for him.

In 2015, the family lost Steph's little brother, Harris Whittles, to a heroin overdose. Harris was already a successful comedian, and he was just 30 years old. Everyone grieved Harris in their own way. Steph wrote a book, and mo started a support group in Houston, where they used to live. But Ellison's grief was solitary, and it ate him up. Three years later, Ellison started showing signs of Parkinson's. Tremors, muscle stiffness, feeling off balance, symptoms that tend to get worse over time. And now he's become wheelchair bound and can barely stand on his own.

My dad was in pretty good health for somebody who lived life largely and how he wanted to for 75 years. I mean, he really. He drank, he ate lots of red meat, he smoked. He was just like, I'm gonna do whatever I want, whenever I want. And he was a doctor, you know, I mean, he was like. He was a good life of the party. He was a dancer, he was. We would be at restaurants, he would steal desserts off the dessert sample tray. He would take musicians violins and start playing them. I mean, he was like, you know, he was good at living his life in many ways. And then, boom, my brother died. He gets this diagnosis, he retires. All of these happened in such quick succession. And any one of those on their own is a risk factor for falling into depression. So anyway, the disease has really. I think in the last couple of years, I saw that it got worse. And then once he got into the care facility, I don't know, now he really is having trouble. He cannot walk. He cannot get up on his own. And he's been falling a lot.

And every time he falls, he gets more scared to try to walk. So it immobilizes him more, and it's a vicious cycle. I was just talking to my dad, driving home, and he said that he fell out of the bed. He doesn't have his button to press for the nurse. So I'm glad I was on the phone, because now I just did a sharp turn to come here. Holy shit, dad, what happened?

Well, I was talking to you and I rolled too far.

Okay, hold on. I'm gonna go get the nurse. Just hold on, hold on, hold on.

Hi.

My dad fell out of his bed. He's on the floor. Doctor Whittles.

Oh, gosh. I was coming in to see him.

Yeah.

What did you hear on the other line? What was going through your mind at that moment as you're racing to him?

He doesn't want to put anyone out. He doesn't want to be a burden. He doesn't want to use you.

Yeah. See how that works?

Pot, kettle. Yes, yes, check. But he fell out of bed. But it was the slowest, most like silent fall. And so he said, I just fell. I just fell out of the bed. I was like, what? I said, dad, press the button and get the nurse in there. I don't know where it is. So I just booked it, you know, ran up and you can hear on the thing. He's still making jokes.

Let's check your vital signs, mister Widdows. And then what's his? 82 is the heart rate.

This is the best it's been.

Well, that's pathetic.

Well, I need to fall off a bad mold.

No, you don't.

You know, you just wanted all these.

Girls to come around and hang out. Isn't that Mister Wittles? Your dad is a delight.

What am I gonna do now? What am I gonna do?

Most of the time, I mean, it was. It was sad. He was. He fell in a really uncomfortable position on top of this table and he had peed all over the floor when he fell. So he was just sitting there in it. And it's just really hard to see your dad that way.

For people in steph's position and mine, you never forget the moments when reality starts to sink in. It's tough to see the person who taught you how to eat, walk, read and write in such a vulnerable position. I so vividly remember similar moments with my own dad. One time he fell like Ellison did. I turned my head for 1 second and my dad was busy trying to use his eating tray as a step stool to look out the window. But it cracked under his weight and he fell backwards. It was a gentle tush, first landing, and because of his Alzheimer's, he didn't even know what was going on. But I was horrified. Now, instead of them guiding you through life, it's the other way around. You're mourning the relationship you used to have and coming to terms with the inevitability of a more permanent loss. That can take a lot of getting used to. But until that day, all we can do is show up and love our people with everything we've got. When it's easy and when it's tough, which is exactly what steph does for her dad. We'll be back after the break.

Weight Watchers has continually evolved right alongside our growing understanding of health and nutrition. Recognizing that every single body is unique, they don't believe in one size fits all solutions. Instead, through extensive experience and ongoing research in science and behavior, Weight Watchers remains a trusted program that has positively impacted millions of members. Weight Watchers remains a trusted program that has positively impacted millions of members. And recently they introduced Weight Watchers clinic. If you qualify, you can access doctor prescribed weight loss medications and get support from a dedicated care team. You'll get virtual one on ones with board certified doctors focused on weight care insurance coordination to help minimize your cost. One on one consultations with a registered dietitian and medication management, such as support navigating medication shortages all through the Weight Watchers app, plus a whole community of people who are just as passionate about weight health as you are. Weight Watchers fits your needs, whether it's through their clinically proven points program or, for those who medically qualify, access to doctor prescribed weight loss medications and registered dietitians in Weight Watchers clinic. See how Weight Watchers fits you@weightwatchers.com. dot hey, readers. Are you looking for that rousing, immersive new novel that you can really sink your teeth into?

Introducing joy, the new novel from number one bestselling author, Danielle Steele. In this deeply moving novel, a determined young woman must survive a series of abandonments to find a love that is worthy of her. It starts with our protagonist, Allegra Dixon, abandoned by her mother and raised by an emotionally distant father. Life finally takes a turn for Allegra when she meets a young West Point cadet named Shepden. They marry after college, just before Shep is deployed overseas for the first time. Soon, Allegra realizes her husband is changing into someone she no longer recognizes. Just when she finds happiness, it eludes her once again. But Allegra refuses to give up, never relenting in her search for the joy she deserves. Find out why readers are calling Joy an amazing piece of work. Uplifting and memorable and brilliantly written. Joy by Danielle Steele. Available now wherever books are sold. The team wants me to ask you about your Parkinson's.

I don't have Parkinson's.

You don't have it? I mean, why are you lying on the microphone?

I have Parkinson's. Okay. I have Parkinson's.

What's the most frustrating part about it?

Not being able to move about as I want.

Are you happy?

That's not the point. The point is to get through.

Are you content to get through what?

Whatever I'm trying to get through.

You're trying to get to the end?

Yeah.

How do you think that Parkinson's has affected our relationship?

Well, I think it's. It's, uh. Cause it's become more. Less spontaneous?

Yeah. We can't go do stuff that sucks.

That is the hardest part.

I really hate you not being able to be with us.

That's the hard part.

Yeah, it's really hard.

I think that's the hardest part is being isolated.

Every few days, Steph visits her dad at the nursing home a couple of blocks from her house. Sometimes, her kids, iris and Harry, will join. There's a hot chocolate machine at the entrance of the nursing home that they adore. Other days, Ellison's wife, Mo, will visit. Mo has this great southern accent and the kind of warm and open energy you just want to be around. Like Steph, she also lives down the street from the nursing home. Pretty soon, she'll even be moving into a unit in Steph's backyard. Adjusting to this lifestyle change has been hard on everyone. But imagine being in Mo's shoes for over 40 years, she shared a home and a life with the person she loves. And Parkinson's is slowly chipping away at all of that.

He doesn't. He's not with us anymore. Physically, he's not with us. One night, in the middle of the night, I had to call Stephanie over because he was stiff and he couldn't get on or off the bed. And she came over and she said, mom, you know, it's. You got to think about this now, putting him somewhere, because you can't do it anymore.

And Mo listened. When Steph and Mike decided to trade their big city life in Houston, Texas, for the small town life in California, Mo and Ellison followed. The plan was to stay close together and find a nursing home that could take better care of Ellison as his Parkinson's worsened.

I can't tell you what it was like the first day that I brought him there with that suitcase. That's terrible to have to do that. But he was willing to go because he's, first of all, the nicest person you'd ever meet. And he felt like it was maybe killing me at that point, that it just was. I couldn't do it.

My dad, he was never gung ho about it. I mean, he knew it made sense. Here's the thing. He's a logical, practical man, so he understood that he was too frail and required more care than she was able to give him. And also, he's so in love with her and. And wants nothing more than to be in her presence all the time.

Oh, my gosh. That is so the dichotomy.

And my mom is, like, ripping her hair out. So it's really important to note. Before we left, my dad was already really declining. He was spending all of his time in bed. And by the time we all got to California, things had really reached a fever pitch. It was rough. And I think because I was there seeing it and how bad it had all gotten, it felt like if we can get him into somewhere where he will have round the clock care with nurses who can come and help him when he falls, you know, maybe this will help his quality of life. If my mom isn't badgering him to take his pills, badgering him to take a shower, I.

She was on edge. Mo was on edge.

Real tense.

She was?

Yeah, it was real tense.

My vision of Ellison and I was, he would retire and we would travel. We've taken some amazing trips together. That's gone. That was gone a long time ago. So I'm kind of like a married widow, honestly, because I am in nowhere land. I have a husband who I love dearly, but I can't really have a life other than, you know, that I can't. And it's just hard. It's just hard. I'm just lonely. I can't explain it any other way. It's a lonely situation.

There can be a lot of loneliness in being a caregiver for Mo. This distance has a high price tag, room and board. Plus all the care Ellison receives at the nursing home is over $7,000 a month for the next three years. All of these costs are covered by a long term care insurance plan that he and Mo bought back in the day. According to stuff. That's what grade a worrying will get you. Now, if you've already pulled out your phone to search how to buy long term care, you should know that it's not so popular anymore because costs have skyrocketed and so have the scams. And these plans have an expiration date. Even though Ellison is covered for now, the family will have to think of a plan b once those three years are up. But even when you're trying to budget for next steps, there are so many other costs. You couldn't have predicted more on that after the break.

Weight Watchers has continually evolved right alongside our growing understanding of health and nutrition. Recognizing that every single body is unique, they don't believe in one size fits all solutions. Instead, through extensive experience and ongoing research in science and behavior, Weight Watchers remains a trusted program that has positively impacted millions of members. Weight Watchers remains a trusted program that has positively impacted millions of members. And recently they introduced Weight Watchers clinic. If you qualify, you can access doctor prescribed weight loss medications and get support from a dedicated care team. You'll get virtual one on ones with board certified doctors focused on weight care insurance coordination to help minimize your cost, one on one consultations with a registered dietitian and medication management, such as support navigating medication shortages all through the Weight Watchers app, plus a whole community of people who are just as passionate about weight health as you are. Weight Watchers fits your needs. Whether it's through their clinically proven points program or for those who medically qualify, access to doctor prescribed weight loss medications and registered dietitians in Weight Watchers clinic. See how Weight Watchers fits you@weightwatchers.com. dot hey, readers, are you looking for that rousing, immersive new novel that you can really sink your teeth into?

Introducing joy, the new novel from number one bestselling author, Danielle Steele. In this deeply moving novel, a determined young woman must survive a series of abandonments to find a love that is worthy of her. It starts with our protagonist, Allegra Dixon, abandoned by her mother and raised by an emotionally distant father. Life finally takes a turn for Allegra when she meets a young west point cadet named Shep. They marry after college, just before Shep is deployed overseas for the first time. Soon, Allegra realizes her husband is changing into someone she no longer recognizes. Just when she finds happiness, it eludes her once again. But Allegra refuses to give up, never relenting in her search for the joy she deserves. Find out why readers are calling Joy an amazing piece of work. Uplifting and memorable and brilliantly written. Joy by Danielle Steele, available now wherever books are sold. Okay. All right. Hello.

Hello.

How are you feeling today?

Not like usual, which is not so good.

It's just how you. It's just your baseline. Baseline just don't feel good?

No.

How does it feel to wake up every day and feel badlandhouse?

Used to it by now.

Any descriptors?

No. It's kind of bleak. Food's monotonous. The people are monotonous. It's all monotonous.

You don't like it here?

No. I mean, I can't really do anything. I can't go anywhere. Just what you expect when you get old.

How old are you?

You know, I was trying to figure that whether I was 71 or 81, I can't figure it out. Oh, my God, dad, there's only ten years difference.

You're 81. 81, yeah, 71.

Well, good try.

How do you like the staff here?

Staff is good. I like staff.

Who do you like the most, Jackie?

Your dad. I don't see him as a resident. I see him as, like, I want to say, like my grandpa.

That's nurse Jackie.

He's not comfortable with anyone I know. And somehow he got comfortable with me and he started trusting me. And, you know, sometimes your dad's my counselor or he's my cupid. He'll, you know, when we call 911, he'll look at a fiverr and he'll be like, oh, that one, that one, you know. Yes.

When Jackie's working the night shift, she's doing it solo. So when Ellison falls, she has to call the fire department to help her lift him back into bed. That's when Ellison gets to play Cupid.

Did you like those firemen who came last night?

You see what I'm telling you? But yeah. I love your dad. He's one of my favorite residents here.

Did you like the farm? Any of the firemen?

No, they were too old for me.

Dad. It was like, what, three in the morning?

Yes, it was.

Yeah.

Everybody loves you. Even though you give us a heart type. He's very, very stubborn. He doesn't like asking for help.

I know.

So never have been in favor of asking for help. The trouble is, I'm always worried about falling.

I know you are. I know.

So as a result, I don't walk as much. And because I don't walk as much, I have more risk of falling.

That's right. It's like a snake eating its own tail.

That's right.

So tell me this, once the decision's made, what was it like walking into the home with him for the first time and realizing this may be where he is forever? I mean, and again, I don't have kids, but I could imagine it's a little bit like taking your baby to first grade or kindergarten for the first time. Will they like it there? Will they find friends? Is it like that as we talk about a sandwich generation?

And it's like, look, dad, there's bridge every Thursday. Dad, there's a library. You love to read. You know, there's a piano happy hour happening. You like drinking? You know, I mean, it was just like, ba ba ba ba ba ba b. It was just trying to, like, make him feel good about it, you know, and like, doing the tap dance and knowing full well that it wasn't gonna be great.

Turns out Steph was right.

It's not. Okay, we're in it again. We're. Here we go. Starting overdose.

A little over a month after our conversation, things took a turn for the worse at the care facility, and Ellison's health started declining fast.

Socialization is such a part of health for the elderly population. They don't have that. Where my dad is right now, he is in his room, shut in by himself the entire day. And so I'm seeing not only, like, the care sort of decrease, but the entire sort of philosophy of the place is kind of flawed.

About a year ago, the facility was bought by a big corporation, and it's been making some pretty drastic changes. According to Steph, that includes changes to its resources and staff and much of the staff aren't happy. Steph and Mo aren't happy either. They want to get Ellison out of there, so now they have to start the rigmarole of finding the right care home for Ellison all over again.

I get my balance, I adjust, and then I get sucked into quicksand again, and I. I'm like a gross compartmentalizer now. I mean, you just have to file it away and keep going. You can't think too hard about it because then you'll just break down. And who has the time for that when you're in it? You're just putting 1ft in front of the other and. And doing whatever you need to do to get through each day. But it's like the kind of hard. Keeps shifting and raising small children and being in a marriage and having elderly parents. No one can say, I'm just living in the moment. You can't live in the moment. You cannot. Please show me how to be present. And that is something I struggle with constantly as a mother who is running a business and working and working constantly, like, how is any of this happening? You know, how is it working?

Yes.

And we get through the day and we all have dinner and we do bedtime, and I get to see Mike, and then I get to watch the stories for a little bit, and then I fall asleep with the laptop open and, yeah, it's hard. And also, we're fine.

Yeah. You know what's interesting in hearing you tell the story of your family, you're unshakeable. And the thing that I love about hearing about how you all show up for each other is that there's been so much tough stuff. But your determination to see this through to the end, I love it. And in that, I want to wrap up with something your brother Harris, often would say. He would say, quit future tripping. You just have to deal with today. That's the best we can do. Those are words to live by. So how do you try to live by this? These great words that Harris said?

It's hard. It's really hard. I'm wired to future trip, and I feel like the last ten years for me has been an exercise in, like, what you just said in a different way, which is, I have proof that we have survived.

Yeah.

I have proof that we can make it through. I have proof that we can hold each other up. And if the worst thing happens, we will be okay.

Right?

And I am just lucky. I mean, I have the best people in my family. I have to just, like, be present and look at Mike and look at my kids and look at my mom and look at my dad and just say, we're gonna be all right.

I know Steph and her family are gonna be all right. To me, this series is one small part of the larger cultural shift towards recognizing caregivers as the backbone of our country. Those who care make everything else possible. I also see it as part of a mental shift for me personally. Back in April, my dad, Omar, fell again. This time he broke his hip and had to spend months recovering in a nursing rehab facility, not in the comfort of our home. It's almost poetic that this shift happened when it did. I mean, my dad and I were being squeezed by life in the middle of recording a podcast that mirrors what this is all about. And just like Steph's family, we're not sure what's going to happen. But that's caregiving. It's messy and sacrificial and time consuming and sometimes scary and unfair. And it's important to speak up about all of it, the hardships and the joys. And I just hope the more we shine a light on it, the more help we can get to face our country's crumbling, broken system of care. If you aren't angry yet, you just aren't paying attention. Because as I said earlier, it's gonna affect you too, in some way someday.

But I'm also here to remind you that as tough as it all sounds, there's still a lot of hope. Over the next seven episodes, we'll be listening to the realities of people who care in America at every stage of life. We have so much more to cover, but I gotta keep some of it in my back pocket for now. Keep those plates spinning, embrace the music of humor and try to extend grace to yourself. Honey, this is squeezed. I'm your host, Yvette Nicole Brown. There's more squeeze with Limonada Premium subscribe get exclusive access to bonus content like previously unheard clips from all our voices in this series. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts. Squeezed is a lemonade media original. I'm your host, Yvette Nicole Brown. Crystal Genesis is our senior producer. Julia Yorkt, Tess Navotny and Hannah Boomershine are our producers. Ivan Kurayev is our engineer. Our theme music is by Andy, Kristen's daughter, with additional music by APM Music. Jackie Danziger is our vp of narrative content. Executive producers are me, Yvette Nicole Brown, Jessica Cordova Kramer, and Stephanie Whittles. Wax this show was created in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime and pave the way together to a future where health is no longer a privilege but a right.

Follow squeeze wherever you get your podcasts, or listen ad free on Amazon Music with your prime membership.

Hi everyone, Gloria Riviera here, and we are back for another season of no one is coming to save us, a podcast about America's childcare crisis. This season, we're delving deep into five critical issues facing our country through the lens of child care, poverty, mental health, housing, climate change, and the public school system. By exploring these connections, we aim to highlight that child care is not an isolated issue, but one that influences all facets of american life. Season four of no one is coming to save us will be available August 22. Wherever you get your podcasts.