Big Hearts in Tough Times: LA Kids Discuss the Fires

Starting the second week of January 2025, Los Angeles, CA has been grappling with unprecedented wildfires, which roared through the city, powered by strong winds and dry conditions. Hundreds of thousands of people had to evacuate their homes as firefighters battled the wildfires.

In this special episode of Little Kids, Big Hearts, four LA Kids — Amicko, Kiaan, Kaveer, and Cleo — share their experiences and feelings related to the wildfires.

They travel with Little Kids, Big Hearts host Todd Loyd to the Land-of-Qook-a-lackas where they visit with a Link-a-doo friend, Linkala, who fled the Isle of Link-a-doo in the  Great Link-a-Doo Flood. Linkala shares memories and feelings — as well as some useful ways to cope with disasters and get through hard times — and answers the kids' questions about surviving similar disasters.

Linkala is played by Dr. Cara Spitalewitz, a clinical psychologist who works with children and adolescents in New York City. Cara previously was a supervising psychologist at Bellevue Hospital Center and a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at NYU School of Medicine. She holds a B.A. from Columbia University, an Ed.M. in Human Development & Psychology from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Long Island University-Brooklyn. She completed an APA-accredited Clinical Internship at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine and her postdoctoral training at Bellevue Hospital Center.

Sound design and mixing is by Ryan Marth, and the ukulele music you hear is by actor and composer Bill English.

Please learn more about the episode online at playsparkler.org/hardtimes.

Do you know of a little kid, with a big heart who would be interested in being a guest on our podcast? Please learn more here: https://playsparkler.org/participate-on-our-podcast/