Podcast
Dad to Dad Podcast
Hosted by David Hirsch · EN
Fathers mentoring fathers of kids with special needs - presented by the Special Fathers Network. Host David Hirsch interviews some amazing fathers of kids with special needs.
42episodes
Episodes
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SFN Dad To Dad 411 - John O'Leary of St. Louis, MO, A Motivational Speaker, Best-Selling Author, Podcast Host & Father of Four - Part 2
Jan 200:29:37Tap to summarizeOur guest this week is John O’Leary of St. Louis MO who is a motivational speaker, bestselling author, host of the Live Inspired Podcast, the subject of the recently released major motion picture SOUL ON FIRE and perhaps most importantly, the father of four children.John and his wife, Beth, have married for 22 years and are the proud parents of four children ages 14 to 20.At age nine, John was badly burned in a horrific gasoline fire, leaving him with third-degree burns on more than 80% of his body. Given less than 1/2 of 1% chance of survival, he somehow beat the odds. Central to John’s story is the role Jack Buck, the iconic St. Louis Cardinals sportcaster, played in John’s life. After graduating from St. Louis University and a 15 year career in real estate, John became a motvational speaker and two-time best selling author of the books: · On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life· In Awe: Rediscover Your Childlike Wonder to Unleash Inspiration, Meaning, and JoyThe theatrical release of the movie Soul On Fire took place in October 2025, which is an inspiring true story about John, who survives a devastating childhood burn accident and transforms unimaginable suffering into a life of gratitude, resilience, and purpose—showing how hope, faith, and human connection can triumph over tragedy. The movie is now streaming on: Prime Video, Apple TV, YouTube and elsewhere. This is Part 2 of the interview with John O’Leary, a story about faith, family and perseverance, on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Notes – Email – jo@johnolearyinspires.comLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-o-leary-08b2805/Website – https://johnolearyinspires.com/Book – On Fire: The Seven Chocies To Ignite A Radically Ispired Life – https://tinyurl.com/vn5d733u Book – In Awe: Rediscover Your Childlike Wonder to Unleash Inspiration, Meaning, and Joy – https://tinyurl.com/4h4duvjtMovie – Soul On Fire Trailer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CslVGLETWpsSpecial Fathers Network –SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: “I wish there was something like this when we first received our child’s diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through.”SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/ SFN Mastermind Group - https://21stcenturydads.org/sfn-mastermind-group/Special thanks to SFN Mentor Father, SFN Mastermind Group dad and 21CD board member Shane Madden for creating the SFN jingle on the front and back end of the podcast..
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SFN Dad To Dad 365 - Isaac Jean-Paul of Los Angeles, CA A Father & Author Who Is A Legally Blind U.S. Paralympic Medalist
Feb 14, 202500:52:06Tap to summarizeOur guest this week is Isaac Jean Paul of Los Angeles, CA. who is a father and U.S. Paralympic track and field champion who just happens to be legally blind.Isaac and his significant other, Myra Harris, are the proud parents of two year old daughter Shylah. Isaac was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago. In high school he was a track & field star. As he began to lose his sight he didn't want to be treated any differently than everyone else. A friend suggested he compete in adaptive athletics, which led to training and qualifying for the U.S. Paralympic Team. He's won national championships and represented the U.S. Paralympic Team in Tokyo and Paris, where he is a two time medalist in the long jump. Isaac is also the author of a children's book entitled: Mya's Marvelous Day At The Games , which was published in July 2024. Isaac will be inducted into the Lewis University Athletic Hall of Fame in March 2025, just as his mom was 20+ years ago. Isaac is an engaging fellow and we’ll hear his thoughts on success and life on this week’s episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Notes - Phone – (847) 800-0376Email – isaaccjeanpaul@gmail.comLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaac-jean-paul-9a1078160/Website - https://www.isaacjeanpaul.com/Instagram – IJP_IAMONERegister for the 6th Annual SFN Dads Virthual Conference on May 10, 2025: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/TLkN_ViJTTqnaK-M8pHPNA After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.Special Fathers Network -SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/
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SFN Dad To Dad 364 - Alfred Niwagaba of Uganda, School Administrator & Father Of Four Including One With Down Syndrome
Feb 7, 202500:33:31Tap to summarizeOur guest this week is Alfred Niwagaba, of Kampala, Uganda who is the director of the Little Angels School in Wakiso and father of four children including a son with Down Syndrome. Alfred and his wife, Rosemary Nambooze, have been married for 16 years and are the proud parents of four children: Benjamin (5), Beroil (9), Abigale (15) and Abryl (14), who has Down Syndrome and has some hearing deficits.Alfred runs The Little Angels School, with over 600 students. Alfred and Rosemary also run Angel’s Center For Children With Special Needs, a NGO that serves families raising children with special needs. It’s a fascinating story and we’ll hear it on this week’s episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Links -Phone – +256-788-887077 WhatsAppEmail – niwaalfred@gmail.comLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/niwagaba-alfred-357ba814a/Angel’s Center For Children With Special Needs https://angelscentre.orgRegister for the 6th Annual SFN Dads Virthual Conference on May 10, 2025: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/TLkN_ViJTTqnaK-M8pHPNA After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.Special Fathers Network -SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/
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SFN Dad to Dad 363 - Jason Tuttle of Atlanta, GA Father Of Two, A Grief Counselor, Author and Blogger Who Very Sadly Lost Son Zachary at 15
Jan 31, 202501:01:59Tap to summarizeOur guest this week is Jason Tuttle of Atlanta, GA, a former physical education and special education teacher, a stay at home parent and father to two children with multiple physical and cognitive disabilities.Jason and his wife, Jennifer, have been married for 21 years and are the proud parents of two children: Samantha (16) who is non-verbal, epileptic, wheelchair bound and has severe neuro developmental delays, and Zachary who, very sadly, passed away in January 2022, at age 15, who was diagnosed with Eagle Barrett Syndrome, was non-verbal, epileptic and had severe development delays. Since Zachary's passing, Jason has dedicated his energies to writing and sharing his feelings about grief with the aim of helping other men in similar situations. We learn about Bert's Big Adventure, an organization that had a profound impact on Zachary, Letters To Zachary and the Letters To Zachary Coloring Book. Jason's story is one of tragedy and heartbreak as well as purpose and fulfillment all on this week’s episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show LinksPhone – (770) 823-6867Email – letterstozachary2022@gmail.comLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-tuttle-4264112a7/Website - https://letterstozachary.com/?trk=public_post-textFacebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552174684952Letters To Zachary Coloring Book - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DC5GSFZKRegister for the 6th Annual SFN Dads Virthual Conference on May 10, 2025: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/TLkN_ViJTTqnaK-M8pHPNA After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/
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SFN Dad To Dad 362 - Michael McManus of Barrington, IL Insurance Exec, Father of Two, One With Autism & Co-Proprietor Of Jigsaw Farms
Jan 24, 202500:45:21Tap to summarizeOur guest this week is Michael McManus of Barrington, IL, Vice President of Captive Resources, co-proprietor of Jigsaw Farms and father of two adult sons, including one with Autism. Michael and his wife Stacie have been married for 33 years and are the proud parents of two boys: Matt (30) and Jake (29) who is Autistic. Jake has benefited from a host of programs, including: Cure Autism Now (CAN), now known as Autsim Speaks,Brave Hearts, and Cowboy DreamsMichael & Stacie purchased a 50 acre working horse farm in Woodstock, IL and renamed it Jigsaw Farms. In addition to their own horses, the farm currently boards 40 horses, includes three full time staff all with separate residences. They also rebuilt a house which would be suitable for Jake to live in, along with space for a caregiver.We’ll hear about that and more on this week’s episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show LinksPhone – (847) 460-8792Email – mmcmanus@captiveresources.comLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-mcmanus-21a12932/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/jigsawfarms/Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/
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SFN Dad To Dad 361 - Scott MacGregor of Fishers, IN ED of Content & Storytelling at Eli Lilly, Father of 3 Including One With Down Syndrome
Jan 17, 202500:40:21Tap to summarizeOur guest this week is Scott MacGregor of Fishers, IN who is Executive Director of Content and Storytelling at Eli Lilly and Company and father of three including one with Down Syndrome.Scott and his wife, Sara, have been married for 23 years and are the proud parents of three living children: Ainsley (16), Jack (18) and Abby (21) who has Down Syndrome. Very sadly, their son Owen who had Trisomy 13, was still born in 2011. We learn about a wide range of organizations Abby has benefited from, including: Gigi's Playhouse,, Unified Track, Kids Dance Outreach and First Steps as well as DADS (Dads Appreciating Down Syndrome).Scott supported his wife Sara as she co-founded Same As U, a nonprofit organization, located in Noblesville, IN established in 2019 to serve young adults with developmental disabilities and to help them live the life they imagine. Same As U is filling a need for more meaningful activities and programming that often stop upon leaving the traditional school system.We’ll hear all about that school, Scott’s gift of story telling and his commitment to family all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show LinksPhone – (317) 440-4699Email – jsmacgregor@lilly.comLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jscottmacgregor/Website - https://www.sameasu.org/Same As U - Vimeo - https://vimeo.com/957878602DADS. Dads Appreciating Down Syndrome https://www.dadsnational.org Gigi’s Playhouse https://gigisplayhouse.org Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/
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SFN Dad To Dad 360 - Jessica Ronne of Holland, MI Mother of Eight, Author, Podcast Host & Founder of The Lucas Project,
Jan 10, 202500:42:28Tap to summarizeOur guest this week is Jessica Ronne of Holland, MI, author, speaker, podcast host, founder & executive director of the Lucas Project and perhaps most importantly, wife and the mother of eight, including one with special needs.Jess and her second husband, Ryan, have been married for 14 years and between them are the proud parents of eight children: four from her first marriage: Caleb, Lucas, Mable and Joshua, three from Ryan's first marriage: Tate, Mia, and Jada and Annabelle (9) who they had together. Their son Lucas suffered a stroke in vitro at 20 months; has global developmental delays, is non-verbal, has hydrocephalous, severe Autism, scoliosis, and low muscle tone.Very sadly Jess' first husband Jason, died of brain cancer in 2010. And Ryan's first wife, Kaci, also passed away from cancer in 2010. The couple met through some mutual acquaintances and married after a brief courtship to go on to have their 8th child, Annabelle. Jess is a prolific author having published four books: -- Sunlight Burning At Midnight (2013) a memoir-- Lovin’ With Grit & Grace (2017) reprinted in 2023-- Blended With Grit & Grace (2021)-- Caregiving With Grit & Grace (2024)Jess is also the founder and executive director of The Lucas Project, a nonprofit organization, whose mission is "to provide recognition, respite and resources to family caregivers of those with special needs."She also hosts the Coffee With Caregivers Podcast and a blog that goes by the name: Jess Plus The Mess. Jess is the oldest of 12 children, a dynamo and caregiver extraoridInaire. We'll hear all about Jess' journey, her deep faith and her wonderful sense of humor on this week’s SFN Dad To Dad Podcast.Show NotesPhone – (616) 617-9077Email – jess@thelucasproject.orgLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-ronne-4b412670/Podcast Coffee With Caregivers - https://anchor.fm/jess-ronneWebsite – https://www.jessplusthemess.com/Website: https://www.thelucasproject.org/Documentary Unseen - https://caregiverdoc.com/ .Books – Sunlight Burning At Midnight - https://tinyurl.com/3fsrekay Blended With Grit & Grace - https://tinyurl.com/mr25k2rm Lovin’ With Grit & Grace - https://tinyurl.com/3janr2sv Caregiving With Grit & Grace - https://tinyurl.com/bdhted3vFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jessplusthemess Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessplusthemessPinterest: pinterest.com/jessplusthemess/Twitter: twitter.com/jessplusthemessSpecial Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/
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Jan 3, 202500:21:27Tap to summarizeEpisode #359 – A Look Back on 2024 Hi I’m David Hirsch, founder of the 21st Century Dads Foundation and Special Fathers Network as well as host of the Special Fathers Network Dad To Dad Podcast. Happy New Year and welcome to the first episode of 2025. Tom Couch, the editor and producer of the SFN Dad To Dad Podcast, and I, thought we would do something special and provide a Look Back on 2024. In total we produced 72 episodes, 52 were weekly episodes airing on Fridays and for 20 weeks from May through September we produced a series of short episodes with SFN Mentor Fathers who are also involved with the SFN Mastermind Group program. We called them SFN Mastermind Group Monday Podcasts. While we’d love to include a snippet from all 70+ episodes, to keep it more concise we decided to provide some highlights. We hope you enjoy listening to this Look Back on 2024 Episode as much as we did producing it. 18 of the 2024 guests are authors. Nine of the interviews included international guests, from the following seven countries: Australia, Canada, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Iceland, Israel and the UK. Four of the guests are women. Three interviews were with dads who lost a child including one who was an Israeli hostage killed by Hamas terrorists. Two interviews included military veterans: a former U.S. Navy Seal and a U.S. Air Force Vietnam-era combat pilot. And one of the guests is a Native American. The episodes also spanned a very broad range of disabilities including; Autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Rare Disease, Dwarfism as well as those who are blind, deaf and missing a limb(s). Here is a brief month by month recap with a clip from a select number of episodes. In January, we aired four episodes including a dad from the UK and one from the Cayman Islands as well as with Jonathan Eig, father to three, including a son whose parents passed away at an early age. Jon is also the best-selling author of biographies on: Muhammad Ali, Lou Gehrig, and MLK. In February, we aired four episodes including one with Dave Jereb of Sydney, Australia, a Physical Therapist, co-founder of Move About Therapies and author of the book: Challenging The Story. We also did a two-episode story with filmmaker Bob Manganelli, whose 23 year old deaf son, very tragically committed suicide, while at Gallaudet University back in 2014. In March, we produced five episodes including a two-episode interview with Keith Harris of Albuquerque, NM who is a retired business owner and father of four, including son Tim who has Down Syndrome. He and Tim owned and operated the restaurant Tim’s Place for five years. Tim also went on to author The Book of Hugs, a children’s book. In April, we aired four episodes including one with Jonathan Bennett of Ontario Canada, who is an executive leadership coach, author and father of two, including one with Autism who is also non-binary. In May, we did six episodes including one with Dr. Greg Pursley of Jackson, MO who is a chiropractor, owner of PC Medical Centers, an author and father of two, including a son who has Dwarfism. We also interviewed John Borling of Rockford, IL who is a retired Major General in the U.S. Air Force. John was a combat pilot in Vietnam who flew 97 missions before being shot down and held hostage for six years, eight months at the Infamous Hanoi Hilton. And we interviewed Jon Ghahate a Pueblo Indian from Placitas, NM who is a Vietnam-er veteran and father of three, including a daughter who is sight impaired. In June, we produced eight episodes including four SFN Mastermind Group Monday interviews with testimonials about their mastermind group experiences. One was with John Shouse of Franklin, TN an industrial control engineer and father of three including twin boys, one of which, Evan, is Autistic. John and his wife, Janet, have been leaders in the disability community throughout TN and John has been involved with the Tuesday night Mastermind group for nearly three years. We also interviewed Paul Briggs of Falling Waters, WV, who is the father of 38. No this was not a typographical error or some misstatement. Paul and his wife, Jeanne, have six biological kids and 32 adopted children including: 13 from Ghana, 10 from Ukraine, six from Russia, two from Bulgaria and one from Mexico. In July, we did nine episodes including five Mastermind Group Monday interviews. We also interviewed Kelley Coleman of Los Angeles, CA, a mother of two, a disability advocate, and author of Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child: Your Guide to the Essential Systems, Services, and Supports. We also interviewed Sam Farmer of North Easton, MA who is the father of a son with Autism and later in life was also diagnosed with Asperger’s. Sam is also the author of A Long Walk Down A Winding Road and has become one of the more well recognized self-advocates in the Autism community. We also Al Malavolti of Rockford, IL in a two-part interview. Al is a retired aerospace executive and he and his wife, Rosemary, have 22 children including four biologic kids and 17 adopted kids, and one they parented. In August, we aired nine episodes including four Mastermind Group Monday episodes, including one with Tom Costello of Frankfort, IL who is the father of twin 21-year-old boys who are Autistic. Tom and his wife Irene created the Twin Autism Foundation and have been outspoken advocates for those diagnosed with ASD. We also interviewed Alvin Green of Chicago who is a retired Chef. Alvin and his wife, Angela Ferguson, have two boys including Aiden who is Autistic. To provide Aiden with some career skills and to support himself, Alvin founded Al’s Cookie Mixx, a premium online cookie business that employs individuals who have intellectual disabilities. In September, we produced nine episodes including five Mastermind Group Monday episodes and one with Agust Kristmanns of Reykjavik, Iceland who is the father of three including son, Ingi, who has 2Q37 Deletion syndrome, a rare chromosome condition that affects his development. We also interviewed Jonathan Polin who is an Israeli-American. Jonathan and his wife, Rachel Goldberg-Polin, became some of the most outspoken advocates speaking out about the urgency behind releasing the Israelis being held hostage by Hamas. They met with the Pope at the Vatican and President Biden at the White House. They spoke at the United Nations in Geneva and at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. I interviewed Jonathan on day 328 of their son Hersh’s captivity and very sadly, just days later we learned about Hamas murdering six of the hostages including Hersh. In October, we aired five episodes including one with Dr. Ruslan Vasyutin who is a single Ukrainian father to 12 year old daughter Alicia, who has Cerebral Palsy and unable to walk or talk. They are currently living in Solihull, England after fleeing Kiev in February 2022 after the Russia invasion of Ukraine. We also interviewed Andrew Bustamante of Colorado Springs, CO who is the father of two young children. Andrew and his wife, Jihi, are both x-CIA undercover intelligence officers and hosts of the EverydaySpy Podcast. It was a fascinating conversation about utilizing CIA tactics to overcome adversity. In November, we produced five episodes including one with fellow podcaster daughter-father team: Reena Friedman Watts and her father Wayne, who produce the Better Call Daddy Podcast. We also interviewed Todd Evans of Brentwood, TN who is an entrepreneur. He and his wife Kristin have two children with disability and are the co-authors of How To Build A Thriving Marriage As You Care For Children With Disabilities. And in December we did four episodes including one with former U.S. Navy Seal Phillip Koontz who is a business owner, leadership coach and speaker, father of five including an Autistic son and author of the book: The Truth Behind My Trident, which provides a fascinating look behind the curtain of the life as a U.S. Navy Seal. We also interviewed Emma Livingstone of London, England who is the mother of three typical kids, who herself has Cerebral Palsy and is founder and CEO of UP - The Adult Movement For Adults With Cerebral Palsy. All in all 2024 was an extraordinary year for the 21st Century Dads Foundation and Special Fathers Network. I want to offer my heartfelt thanks to: Tom Couch, our SFN Dad To Dad Podcast editor and producer and my partner in crime, To Our primary sponsor Horizon Therapeutics for the ongoing and generous support, To all those who agreed to do interviews this past year, some of which were included here, andPerhaps most importantly of all, YOU our valued listeners for tuning in week after week and sharing the episodes with family and friends. For more information, please go to the show notes or visit: www.21stCenturyDads.org. Thank you again and best wishes to you and your family for a safe and healthy new year.Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there
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SFN Dad to Dad 358 - Emma Livingstone, of London, England, Mother of Three, Self Advocate & Founder of UP The Adult Cerebral Palsy Movement
Dec 27, 202400:50:46Tap to summarizeOur guest this week is Emma Livingstone of London, England who is the mother of three typical kids, a self-advocate with Cerebral Palsy and founder & CEO of UP - The Adult Cerebral Palsy Movement. Emma and her husband, Derrick, have been married for 17 years and are the proud parents of three typical children ages 11-16. She is the one who has cerebral palsy, which has propelled her to become one of England's most outspoken advocates for adults with CP. Emma is founder and CEO of UP - The Adult Cerebral Palsy Movement, a non-profit whose mission is to help all members of the adult Cerebral Palsy community to live their best lives. It's an uplifting story about family, perseverance and service all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast. Show Notes -Phone/WhatsApp – 44-07-951-019-508Email – emma@upmovement.org.ukLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-livingstone-080967a4/Website - https://upmovement.org.uk/Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/
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SFN Dad To Dad 357 - Craig Parks of San Diego, CA A Professional Musician, Band Leader, Camp Director, Author & Father Of Two
Dec 20, 202400:50:51Tap to summarizeOur guest this week is Craig Parks of San Diego, CA who is a professional musician, band leader, camp director, author and father of two including one with special healthcare needs.Craig and his wife, Rachel, have been married for 23 years and are the proud parents of two children: Nashaman (10) and Jonah (20) who has multiple issues, including: anxiety, attention issues and Autism.Craig has a real passion for working with youth. He has combined his love of music and talent as a musician with his commitment to serving youth in a variety of ways including serving as a camp director and band leader.More recently Craig authored an e-Book entitled: "Stress Less & Have Fun With Your Kids". He also created a curriculum the "Parenting A to E Course" available at: https://www.parentingharmony.com/ We’ll hear Craig’s story and about his musical and special needs journey on this week’s Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Links - Phone – (760) 505-3099Email – craigparks@parentingharmony.comLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-parks-6038756/Website - https://www.parentingharmony.com/North County JCC Camp – https://jcca.org/find-a-jcc/lawrence-family-jcc-of-san-diego-county-jacobs-family-campus/eBook – Stress Less & Have More Fun With Your Kids – https://craigparksmusic.samcart.com/products/stress-less--have-more-fun-with-your-kids Parks Party Central Episode 1 March 29,2020 (youtube.com)Parks Party Central Episode 19 (youtube.com) Parks & Pals: Tequila (youtube.com)Urban Plates - 12 under $12 - core - eat well (youtube.com) Here's a bonus video of his son at 6 years old playing the drums with Criag and a couple of the teens he was working with: Long Live Rock.mpg (youtube.com) Here is a video from Autism's Got Talent with Jonah in 2020. He ended up winning the competition that year. J the King - Autism's Got Talent - YouTubeParenting A to E - From Stress To Smiles Turning The mundane Into The Memorable - Enroll now at: https://parentingharmony.com/products/parenting-a-to-e?fbclid=IwY2xjawHO4_FleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHVTpd8dvVA6oGnGhjp4mA6lsq2ii8VvRokknzaxNn1wFwJ0zJZRagsM_Mw_aem__SD5vUvTcsNCFek5EJgsVgMiracle League of San Diego https://www.miracleleagueofsandiego.orgSan Diego Chill Ice Hockey for kids with special needs https://sandiegochill.orgThe San Marcos Shooting Stars Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/p/SMYBB-Shooting-Stars-100057535536242/Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 800+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videosPlease support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/
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