Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Angela Fritz. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Angela, appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

One of the biggest risks I’ve taken actually has forever changed my career and my life for the better. I was born with sensorineural hearing loss and have worn hearing aids and been learning ASL throughout my life. As a kid, I was bullied for being different and spent most of my life feeling ashamed of my disability and wishing I was “normal”. Working with kids with disabilities and seeing all the strengths that come from it, as well as years of therapy, slowly changed this perspective, and put me on a road to acceptance and pride in my disability. When I shared publicly about my experience with hearing loss, I was terrified, worried I would again feel belittled and othered like I did as a kid. The response, however, was the exact opposite. It inspired others to open up about what makes them different as well, and I was met with tons of support and encouragement. Being vulnerable about my disability gave me opportunities to make important changes within my circles to create a culture of inclusion and belonging for all. It provided me a platform to spread awareness and advocate for change in very powerful ways. It also has opened up important avenues for connecting with patients and families in a really special way due to my personal experience with disability, which has led to powerful patient- and family-centered care within my professional spheres. Taking this risk taught me that when we are vulnerable, we are brave, and bravery changes the world!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I have been a pediatric physical therapist for over 10 years now, and specialize working with infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). From a young age, my family always described me as having a bleeding heart, and I think my own experience with disability deeply shaped my desire to go into healthcare. In 7th grade there was a friend in my PE class who had Down syndrome, and our school had limited services available to help support her. I remember assigning myself as her buddy and adapting all our activities in PE to allow her to participate–in retrospect, that was me trying to be a PT! It’s no wonder I went into this field, and I’m so glad I did! I have a blog, social account, and small business called Bebe-PT that is doing big things to help support families of children with disabilities and medical needs, such as prematurity, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and babies who are trach/vent dependent. I aim to provide resources, education, and direct services to these families to help their baby thrive! I am also very passionate about disability advocate and have had speaking opportunities at the local and national level. My goal is to help babies and fight for equity, to make this world a better place for the kids I work with and other little kids like I was. My motto, that I have learned from the powerful babies I work with every day, is “be brave”, and Bebe-PT is a safe, brave space where all are welcome and supported.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

The biggest lesson I have had to unlearn is the lie that we’ve been taught as a society that disability is a Bad Thing. Ableism is deeply engrained in our culture and I have internalized those biases from a young age growing up with a disability. I always felt ashamed of my hearing loss and tried to hide my disability as much as possible, but over time the babies and kids I worked with as a pediatric PT who overcame challenges with bravery and grace showed me that disability is a STRENGTH–mine included. I have learned so much about the strengths that come from disability, like my compassion, intentional communication skills, and empathy. I have seen other disabled folx show impressive creativity and resilience in the face of an inaccessible society every day. Now, I try to spread awareness that disability is a strength and we all deserve to belong. I hope to help make even a small impact on the culture of disability within healthcare and our society so that our kids have a future where they aren’t bullied for their differences like I was, but embraced for them in spaces where inclusion and belonging are reality.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

One of my passions includes helping usher in the next generation of physical therapists through mentorship and clinical instruction for DPT students. When talking to prospective or current students, I think it’s important to highlight the role that determination plays in success in this field. The landscape of healthcare is uncertain and scary right now, and we need providers who are going to show up to fight for equity and access in every setting. As healthcare providers we have a moral imperative to “do no harm”, but more than that we are called to do everything we can to help our patients. That means advocating for access, constantly learning more to provide evidence-based practice, and fighting for equity. When the going gets tough, and in healthcare, it does get tough, determination helps fight burnout and ensure resilience in this field that is so fulfilling and also so taxing. Dig in, remember that self-care is healthcare, and be brave. We need you to shape the future of healthcare into one that is lasting, sustainable, and inclusive!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bebe-PT.com
• Instagram: @bebe__pt
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angela.bebept
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angela-fritz/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bebe__pt