Special Fathers' Network Podcast

Our guest this week is Eliya Stromberg, the founder of Fathers Connect and author of Chosen Fathers. Eliya and his wife Esther have several grandchildren and parent of three grown children, including Ariel (32) who has Down Syndrome. We’ll hear Eliya’s story about growing up in Los Angeles, taking degrees from UC Berkeley, Yeshiva University (NYC) and University of Kansas and how his career took him all across North America, before landing in Jerusalem. We also learn about his transformation from being an educator of to the parent of a child with special needs and his calling to assist fathers, which has lead to authoring the book Chosen Fathers and starting the non-profit Fathers Connect. And more on this episode of the Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. Links: Email: Eliya@fathersconnect.comChosen Fathers: Life Lessons Learned From Fathers of Children With Disabilities - https://www.amazon.com/Chosen-Fathers-Lessons-Children-Disabilities/dp/9659254105Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to da

Our guest on this SFN Dad To Dad Podcast 'Special Report' is SFN Mentor Father Ruslan Vasyutin of Kiev Ukraine, the father of a nine year old daughter with Cerebral Palsy, who is unable walk or talk. Today March 9, 2022 marks day 14 since Russia sent its army into Ukraine. This unprovoked and hostile action has upended the lives of all Ukrainians and put Ukraine at the Geopolitcal center of the world.Ruslan previously did an interview for the SFN Dad To Dad Podcast (episode #148), which aired in May 2021, just 10 months ago. As a native of Ukraine and as the father of a child with special needs as well as the leader of a non-profit that serves families raising children with special needs, we agreed now would be a very interesting time to do an update. We are very glad to report, Ruslan and his family were able to evacuate, are safe and are currently staying with friends in Slovakia. It’s a fascinating conversation and testimony to a father’s commitment to his family and service to others.Special Fathers N

Our guest this week is Shandra Cubin, co-founder of Special Hearts, a dating app for parents of kids with special needs. Shandra and her husband, Rich, have two children, including a son, Koen, who has been diagnosed with Seizure Disorder and Hyperlexia, which includes the ability to read at a surprisingly early age and often accompanied by an obsessive interest in letters and numbers. We’ll hear Shandra’s story and more on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. Show Links:Find the Special Hearts app in the Google Play store, or Go to https://www.special-hearts.comEmail – shandraeastman@yahoo.com Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 500+ 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 co

Our guest this week is Amjad Farah, of Livonia, MI who is a global account director at PPG. Amjad and his wife Buthayna, have been married for 27 years and are the proud parents of three children: Amal (26), Sadallah (25) and Abdullah (19) who was diagnosed with Epilepsy and moderate to severe cognitive impairment. We’ll hear Ahmad’s family story, their immigration from the West Bank in Palestine, and more this week on the Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. Show Links:Muhsen – https://muhsen.org ARC of NW Wayne County – https://thearcnw.org Early On Intervention MI – https://www.1800earlyon.org Email – Amjad.farah5@gmail.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amjad-farah-a0975643/Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 500+ 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

Our guest this week is Tom D’Amato of St. Charles, IL who is a Patient Advocate at Horizon Therapeutics, a company dedicated to delivering medicines for rare, autoimmune and severe inflammatory diseases. Tom and his wife, Ashley, have been married for 13 years are the proud parents of three, including two of whom have special healthcare needs. Callie has a rare kidney disease, and Brody has Periodic Fever Syndrome, one of only 700 cases worldwide. Tom also reflects on being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and his own treatment regimen.We’ll hear all about that and more on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. Show Links:Horizon Therapeutics – https://www.horizontherapeutics.com/company/about-us HT Patient Advocacy - https://www.horizontherapeutics.com/patients/advocacy/ NORD (National Organization for Rare Disorders) – https://rarediseases.org Global Genes – https://globalgenes.org Email Tom at - tdamato@horizontherapeutics.comSpecial Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for f

Our guest this week is Edgar Pacheco, Sr., of Pearland, TX, a senior paralegal and father of three, including oldest child Edgar Jr. who was born without arms or legs. We’ll hear the story of the two Edgars, from senior's growing up in Huatulco, Mexico, his immigration to the U.S., the family's faith as well as Edgar junior's knack for politics and how he has been transforming lives.That’s all on this Special Network Dad to Dad Podcast. Show Links:ABC News Story - https://abc13.com/game-changer-edgar-pacheco-tetra-amelia-pearland-texas/5384431/ House Bill 1252 renamed the Edgar Pacheco Bill (2:44 – 2:47)https://tlcsenate.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=49&clip_id=16253 Edgar Pacheco Email - edgar__p__m@hotmail.com Edgar’s phone # (956) 243-1952Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 500+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first rec

Our guest this week is Mark Miller, of Marietta, GA a self proclaimed 'chicken salesman' and one of the original employees at Chick-fil-A, where he has worked for more than 40 years and currently serves as Vice-President of High Performance Leadership. Mark is a best selling author or co-author of nine books with more than one million copies in print and in 25+ languages. Mark is also a well respected pubic speaker and executive coach who has had the privilege to teach and lead in not-for-profit organizations domestically and globally.Mark and his wife Donna have been married for 39 years and are the proud parents of two adult sons Justin and David, who has Cerebral Palsy, Autism and Epilepsy. Mark shares his family story, his rise through the ranks at Chick-fil-A, his journey as a special needs dad, his insights as a best selling author and his thoughts on the qualities that make great leaders. That’s all on this Special Network Dad to Dad Podcast. Show Links:Mark’s website - https://www.markmillerlead

Our guest this week is Leonard Boston of Kalamazoo, MI, a retired U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer, real estate agent, board member of Parent To Parent (P2P) USA, and father of four, including a daughter with Angelman Syndrome. Lenn and his wife, LaTrieva, have been married for 13 years and are the proud parents of four children: Kenyana (31), Ashante (28), Maleek (26) and Chloe(11), who was diagnosed with Angelman Syndrome, a genetic disorder that mainly effects the nervous system. After serving 20 years in the Navy, Lenn became a real estate agent and also serves on the board of Parent To Parent (P2P) USA, a national non-profit that empowers and supports parents raising children with special needs. Lenn is also active on a local level with The Family Center For Children And Youth With Special Health Care Needs, a statewide parent-directed center within Children’s Special Health Care Services and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.It's an uplifting and inspiring story about a blended family wh

Our guest this week is Agust Kristmanns, of Reykjavik, Iceland an electrician with three children, including middle child Ingi (20) who was diagnosed with 2Q37 Deletion Syndrome, a rare chromosome condition affecting an estimated 300 people in the world. Because of Ingi's late diagnosis, at age 11, he was denied access to resources, which prompted the family to sue the education ministry. We’ll hear Agust’s story including his effort to start a Dads Meetup Group in Iceland. It’s a unique tale and one you’ll enjoy on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. Show Links:Unique Children of Iceland. (Einstokborn) - https://www.einstokborn.is/is/english Email - agust.kristmanns@gmail.com Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 500+ 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

Our guest this week is Jason Hsieh of University Park, WA. Jason and his wife Miho have been married for 11 years and are the proud parents of three children: Moani (3) who has speech delays, Luana (7) who was diagnosed with Leukemia, and Keanu (10), who has Autism and ADHD. Jason is founder of LakiKid, a company whose motto is to 'Empower Kids To Have A Life Full Of Possibilities' and that sells sensory tools and toys that help kids with autism and other special needs at school and at home. Jason is also a member of the first SFN Dads MasterMind Group, composed of eight SFN fathers who meet weekly to encourage and support one another. It’s a fascinating story and we’ll hear it on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Links - LakiKid Website - https://lakikid.com KultureCity Website - https://www.kulturecity.orgWashington State Fathers Network - https://fathersnetwork.orgSpecial Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of

Our guest this week is Dr. John DeGarmo of Monticello, GA. John and his wife, Kelly, are parents to six children and have opened their hearts and home to more than 60 foster children. John is founder of the Foster Care Institute, the country's premiere resource for all things foster care. His TEDx Talk entitled: 'Children In Need: Children Ignored' has been viewed more than 25K times. John has also authored 11 books about being a foster parent --- and he’s our guest on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. Show Links:The Foster Care Institute - https://www.drjohndegarmofostercare.com/home.htmlJohn's Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=Dr.%20John%20DeGarmoJohn's Youtube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=john+DegarmoTEDx Talk 'Children In Need: Children Ignored' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JQYUp6sEbYBook – 'Fostering Love' - https://www.amazon.com/Fostering-Love-Foster-Parents-Journey-ebook/dp/B0793QBX3N/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=dr.+John+Degarm

Our guest this week is Don “DJ” Joss, owner of DJ’s Sportscards in Renton, Washington. Don and his wife, Amy, are parents to 21 children, including 14 adopted children (from China, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Taiwan, and Bulgaria) as well as 10 with special needs. We’ll hear Don’s incredible story about opening their home and hearts as well as their faith journey and more on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. DJ's Sportscards - https://djssportscards.comEmail - dj@djssportscards.comPhone - 425-235-4357Apert Syndrome - https://www.healthline.com/health/apert-syndrome Schizencephaly - https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/166/schizencephaly Washington State Fathers Network – https://fathersnetwork.org Seattle Children’s Hospital - https://www.seattlechildrens.org/ Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital – https://www.marybridge.org Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 500+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids wit

David Hirsch’s guest this week on the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast is Josh Poynter of Bowling Green, KY who is an estimator with Snake Steel in Nashville, TN. Josh and his wife, Monica, are parents to two boys, Tag and and their second son, Trey who was adopted from China. Both boys have Hemophilia. We’ll hear the Poynter family story including the inspiration to adopt a second child. We also learn about the Hand in Hand Adoption Agency, Kentucky Hemophilia Foundation and Kosair Children's Hospital to name a few supporting organizations. That’s all on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast.Email - jpoynter@snakesteel.com Kentucky Hemophilia Foundation - http://www.kyhemo.org Hand In Hand Adoption Agency - https://www.hihiadopt.org Kosair Children’s Hospital Louisville, KY - https://www.kosair.com/about-shriners-hospital Ronald McDonald House, Louisville, KY - https://rmhc-kentuckiana.org Gift of Adoption Kentucky Chapter - https://giftofadoption.org/get-engaged/kentucky-chapter/ A Child Awaits Foundati

David Hirsch’s guest this week is Scott Newport, an advocate for those with disabilities and special needs. Scott and his x-wife are parents of three including Evan, who sadly passed away at age 7, after fighting Noonan syndrome. We’ll hear how Scott dealt with this tragic loss, his advocacy for families touched by special health care needs, his writings including being par t of the Chicken Soup For The Soul book, and how he has made unique use of his carpentry skills, on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast.YouTube 'All Around Me' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtTScLpEAfY&t=16s Noonan Syndrome: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/noonan-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20354422Read about the Evan Newport Hope Award https://www.mottchildren.org/mott-patient-visitor-guide/employee-recognition.CS Mott Children’s Hospital Ann Arbor - https://www.mottchildren.org/our-locations/cs-mott-childrens-hospital Chicken Soup For The Soul: Children With Special Needs - https://www.chickensoup.

David Hirsch’s guest this week on The Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast is Gary Martinez of Colorado Springs, CO, a personal fitness trainer, author and single father of two, including Monica, who is on the Autism Spectrum. We’ll hear how Gary has used his fitness training principles to help train Monica to live a happier and better life as well as how he navigates being an involved single father of two from different mothers. We’ll also hear about his book, “Living Life Through Their Eyes – Our Journey Together On The Autism Spectrum.” That’s all on this SFN Dad to Dad Podcast. Living Life Through Their Eyes: Our Journey Together On The Autism Spectrum - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P6JJVHG/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1Visit Gary on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000621924877Gary’s You Tube Page: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=gary+martinez+juniorVisit Gary on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gary_martinez_jr/?hl=enEmail Gary - garymarti

David Hirsch’s guest this week is Louis Geigerman, founder of National ARD/IEP Advocates, a firm that represents parents of children with special needs in schools throughout Texas. Louis is the father of two, including son Ben, who had Aspergers and tragically took his own life, shortly after graduating cum laude from Texas State University. We’ll hear the Geigerman family story as well as the Benjamin J. Geigerman Lecture Series at University of Texas and more on Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA) - https://www.copaa.org National ARD/IEP Advocates - http://www.narda.org National Alliance for Mentally Ill – https://www.nami.org The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention - https://www.afsp.orgThe Benjamin J. Geigerman Lecture Series at University of Texas: https://med.uth.edu/calendar/event/2021-benjamin-j-geigerman-lecture-series/Hear Louis Geigerman’s radio show, The Special Ed Section 504 Radio Hour at http://cypressradio.org/louis-geigerman.

David Hirsch’s guest this week is Colonel Mark Huhtanen of Columbia, SC, a 25 year combat veteran of the US ARMY, who has served four active duty tours, and is the father of two, including a non-verbal son with Autism. Mark and his wife, Shelly, have been married for 18 years and are the proud parents of two boys; Hayden (17) and Broden (15) who is non-verbal and has Autism. Serving in the military and raising a family presents unique challenges. Raising a child with special needs, while serving in the military requires an extra level of dedication and additional resources like that offered through the military's Exceptional Family MemberProgram, also known as EFMP. In addition to being a military spouse, which has entailed several moves, being a mom and raising two boys, Shelly somehow found the time to author the book: Giving A Voice To The Silent Many and writes a regular column for Exceptional Parent Magazine entitled: Puzzles & Camo. It's a patriotic and uplifting story about a couple's commitmen

Our guest this week is Dr. Harsha Rajasimha of Herndon, VA who is the father of three as well as CEO and Founder of Jeeva Informatics, a human-centric software as a service, also known as SaaS, enabling clinical research at scale. Harsha and his wife, Ashwini, have been married for 16 years and are the proud parents of three daughters: Amulya (14), Mytri (7) and middle daughter Kahushi who, very sadly, died in 2012, shortly after birth due to Edwards Syndrome, also known as Trisomy 18, which is a rare congenital disorder.Harsha is also founder of Indo-US Organization For Rare Diseases, a non-profit focused on accelerating therapies for rare diseases by building collaborative bridges between the USA and the Indian subcontinent for education, advocacy and research.It's an uplifting story about a father's love for his family and how his heart has been shaped bya daughter's death. That’s all on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. Jeeva Informatics - https://jeevatrials.com Indo-US Organization For R

Our guest this week is Jeremy Knakmuhs of Colorado Springs, CO who is a structural project engineer at CTL Thompson. Jeremy and his wife, Emily, have been married for 8 years and are the proud parents of three children: Colton (6), and three year old twins: Remi and Kennedy, who has PFIC, which is Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis, a rare genetic liver disorder that affects infants and children. We’ll hear the Knakmuhs family story and how Jeremy and Emily have navigated the ups and downs of raising three children, including one with special needs. That’s all on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. PFIC Network – https://www.pfic.org Alberio Pharma - https://www.albireopharma.com PFIC Voices (An educational resource created by Albireo)- https://www.pficvoices.com/Donate Life Colorado - https://www.donatelifecolorado.org Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 500+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising

Meet Marilyn York of Reno, NV the mother of four and one of the country's top family law practitioners who leads an all female practice specializing in men's rights. Marilyn and Mike, her fourth husband, have been married for six years and are parents to a four year old son. Marilyn in also a mom to three other children ranging in age from 14 - 25 from previous marriages.Marilyn was born and raised in San Jose, CA until age 13 when the family moved to Reno, NV. Shehas an extraordinary and unique relationship with her dad who is a serial entrepreneur.As you'll learn, Marilyn is an outspoken advocate for father rights and involvement. Her TEDx Talk entitled: 'What Representing Men in Divorce Taught Me About Fatherhood' has been viewed more than 6.5M times. She has also created a series of rather provocative advertisements including one known as the 'Woman Hater' Ad.It's an intriguing story told from the perspective of a mom and legal expert about the importance of father involvement.Website: https://www.maril