Special Fathers' Network Podcast

Our guest this week is SFN Mentor Father Ray Morris, a former firefighter who does contract work for FEMA. Ray has two boys, including older son Zachary (32) who was diagnosed with Hemimegaloencephaly, a rare condition where one half of the brain is larger than the other.Ray shares how growing up with a dad who became a quadriplegic at 29 was foreshadowing for the experience he and his wife, Kelly, would have raising a son with severe special needs. Ray talks about his faith and in a very authentic way, how he grieved the loss of the life he anticipated for and with Zachary, which also motivated him to create Dads 4 Special Kids and a series of videos to help dads process their own grief and become the best versions of themselves. It's a heartwarming story about a father's love for his children and how his family has been able to overcome some of life's challenges on this SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Ray's email address: Ray@d4sk.orgDads 4 Special Kids: http://d4sk.orgThe Dads 4 Kids You Tube Channel: https://ww

Our guest on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast is Jeremy Meinhardt. Jeremy and his wife Meg have two children, Beck, 15 and Nellie, 12, who has Spina Bifida. We’ll hear about Jeremy, his Dad, his family and how Nellie loves to play wheelchair basketball. That’s all on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. Illinois Spina Bifida Association: https://i-sba.orgSynergy Special Recreation DuPage: https://www.nedsra.org/participate/synergy-adaptive-athletics/Jeremy Reinhardt’s Email Address: jermeykmeinhardt@yahoo.comAbout the 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 all 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

Our guest this week is Rolando 'Ro' Lopez. Ro is a retired FBI special agent who rescues victims of child sex trafficking through the Freedom Shield Foundation. He’s a man on a mission: to save as many of these youth and young adults as he can. It’s a truly inspiring story and you’ll hear it on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. Freedom Shield Foundation - https://www.freedomshieldfoundation.com 1565 W. Main Street ,Suite 208-105, Lewisville, Texas 75067YouTube List of Freedom Shield videos - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUXpLQKZywKwZ1Wg0QaepyQ/videos Alliance for Freedom, Restoration, & Justice (AFRJ) – https://www.afrj.com Engage Together - https://engagetogether.com Rescue Her - https://www.rescueher.org Hawkwood Group – https://www.hawkwoodgroupllc.com A21 – https://www.a21.org About the 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 all are raising kids with special needs, h

Our guest on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast is Mitch Gardner of Jacksonville, FL. Mitch and his wife Ellen have four children including 14-year-old Davis who has severe Autism and is non-verbal. We’ll hear Mitch’s story including his work with the Peace of Heart Autism Community and Ellen’s work with the Tim Tebow Foundation. That’s all on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. Tim Tebow Foundation; https://www.timtebowfoundation.org/Special Nation: http://www.specialnation.org/Peace of Heart: https://www.pohc.org/Email Mitch at: mitchg@revmedgroup.comAbout the 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 all 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 t

Our guest this week is Felimon Hernandez of Olympia, Washington. Felimon is a graphic designer and photographer. He and his wife Cecilia have three children including 8-year-old twins Lalo, has epipelsey and Adelina who has Spina Bifida. We’ll hear Felimon’s story and how he and his family have cared for the twins. That’s all on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. Check out Felimon’s website: https://felimonfoto.comWashington State Fathers Network: https://fathersnetwork.orgSouth Sound Parent to Parent program: https://www.ssp2p.orgAttend the May 15th SFN Dads Virtual Conference. Register for FREE at https://www.21stCenturyDads.org.About the Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 400+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who all 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, a

Our guest on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast is Ruslan Vasyutin, a native Ukrainian businessman who has a daughter with Cerebral Palsy. In his mission to provide support, Ruslan formed DCP Help, a country-wide NGO, to aid parents of kids with special needs. We’ll hear Ruslan’s life story and more on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. Check out DCP Help's website: https://www.dcp-help.com/enFind out about the Orange Penguin Foundation: https://www.orangepenguin.org/Attend the May 15th SFN Dads Virtual Conference. Register for FREE at https://www.21stCenturyDads.org.About the Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 400+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who all 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

Our guest on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast is Azim Khamisa. Azim was born in Kenya and is a successful international businessman. In 1995, Azim’s world was turned upside down when his 20-year-old son Tariq was murdered by a 14-year-old gang member. Azim now dedicates his life on the concept of forgiveness and helping others to avoid similar violent tragedies. In fact, Azim has befriended his son’s killer and his grandfather. It’s an incredible story about a truly special man and it’s all on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad podcast.CBS video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBDeFi-04VM NBC video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKJSOHigxhI Tariq Khamisa Foundation website: https://www.tkf.orgTKF Program Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaT90zQz8RM Azim's website: https://www.azimkhamisa.comEmail: azim@azimkhamisa.comAttend the May 15th SFN Dads Virtual Conference. Register for FREE at https://www.21stCenturyDads.org.About the Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentori

Our guest this week on the Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast is Larry Kaufman. Larry talks to us about an issue we haven’t discussed before, the problem of bullying. Larry grew up being bullied and coincidentally so has his son, Matt. We’ll hear their stories and how they deal with this difficult issue. Larry is also the author of the book "The NCG Factor: A Formula for Building Life-Changing Relationships from College to Retirement." Larry is also a LinkedIn expert with 30,000 connections. That’s all on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad podcast. To learn more about Larry or connect with him, go to his LinkedIn profile at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larrykaufmanlinkedinspeaker/You can purchase The NCG Factor at: https://www.amazon.com/NCG-Factor-Life-Changing-Relationships-Retirement/dp/173306351XAttend the May 15th SFN Dads Virtual Conference. Register for FREE at https://www.21stCenturyDads.org.About the Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising

Our guest this week on the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast is Jeremy Kredlo. Jeremy is single and has two granddaughters with special needs, making Jeremy a senior member of the Special Fathers Network, a Special Grandfather, if you will. He also spends a great deal of time helping other dads at the Washington State Fathers Network and Arc of King County. We’ll hear all about his life and what makes him tick on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. Find out about the Washington State Fathers Network: https://fathersnetwork.orgFind out about the Parent to Parent Program at the Arc of King County: https://arcofkingcounty.org/services/parent-to-parent.htmlContact Jeremy Kredlo at: jkredlo@yahoo.comhttps://www.21stCenturyDads.org

Our guest this week is Andy McCall of Greenville, TN. Andy is a career teacher and coach who has three children, including daughter, Penelope, who, sadly, passed away at age two, due to severe special needs and cancer. Andy kept a blog during Penelope's life, which he turned into a book entitled, Pigtails & Steel, which is available on Amazon. His experience has led to his dedication as a volunteer at St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital as well as with Dads of Steele, a charity that supports dads who have lost a child. Andy credits his family, his faith and The League of Ordinary Men, a local book club for helping him persevere the challenges he and his family has endured. We’ll hear the story of Andy’s life, the highs and the lows, on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. Find out about Dads of Steel at: https://dadsofsteele.orgLearn about St. Judes Children's Research Hospital at: https://www.stjude.orgTo purchase Andy’s Book Pigtails & Steel go to: https://www.amazon.com/Pigtail

This week we’ll hear the final installment of David Hirsch’s conversation with Warren Rustand. Warren has led an exemplary life. He’s been a serial entrepreneur, a former White House Fellow, former NBA player for the Golden State Warriors, past CEO of the World Presidents Organization, a frequent speaker, a grandfather of nineteen and a father of seven. This week, in part two, we’ll hear about Warren’s son, Scott, who has special needs. We’ll also hear tips on how to live a healthy productive life, with his five life principles. That’s all on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast.https://www.warrenrustand.com https://l3.org/about-l3/ https://tinyurl.com/y399aozf https://www.21stCenturyDads.org

Our guest this week is legendary Warren Rustand. Warren’s career is as varied as it is interesting. He’s been a serial entrepreneur, served on 50 for-profit and non-profit boards, a former White House Fellow, former NBA player for the Golden State Warriors, past CEO of the World Presidents Organization, a frequent speaker, grandfather of nineteen, father of 7, including a son with special needs. and most recently author of the book: The Leader Within Us: Mindset, Principals & Tools for Life By Design. He and Carson, his wife of 56 years, have led an extraordinary life and we’ll hear all about it in two parts. This week, in part one, we’ll hear about his career and family philosophy. That’s all on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast.https://www.warrenrustand.com https://l3.org/about-l3/ https://tinyurl.com/y399aozf https://www.21stCenturyDads.org

Our guest this week on the Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast is Rob Harris of Littleton, CO. Rob tells the heartbreaking story of how he and his wife Gina lost two children at childbirth and the happy occurrence of the arrival of their third child, a bouncing baby boy named R.J. Their life experience propelled Gina to become involved with and now serves as CEO of Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep, a national non-profit, whose mission is to introduce remembrance photography to parents suffering the loss of a baby with a free gift of professional portraiture.It’s an incredibly moving tail and one you’ll hear on this Dad to Dad Podcast.To find out about Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep go to: https://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.orgPotter Syndrome - https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001268.htm To find out more about the Special Fathers Network go to: https://21stcenturydads.org/about-the-special-fathers-network/

On this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast, host David Hirsch talks to two Dads, Chris Wade and Travis Jorgensen. Chris is a divorced dad of three kids one of whom, Luca, has Wolf Hirschhorn Syndrome, a rare congenital disease. Travis is a step-dad of sorts to Luca, though not married to Luca’s mom, Leah, he is a dedicated partner and caregiver of Luca and her siblings. Chris, Travis and Leah all take turns caring for those three kids. It’s a unique as well as beneficial situation and we’ll hear all about it in this Special Father Network Dad to Dad Podcast.Special thanks to Louis Mendoza at Washington State Fathers Network and Kindering Center for making the introduction. Washington State Fathers Network – https://fathersnetwork.org Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome – https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/7896/wolf-hirschhorn-syndrome Human Milk for Human Babies - https://www.facebook.com/hm4hbWA/ https://www.21stCenturyDads.org

Our guest this week is Lyle Liechty, a father of three including a daughter with Down syndrome. We’ll hear Lyle’s family story, which includes being adopted, and about his work with DADS (Dads Appreciating Down syndrome), a group that offers support for dads of kids with Down syndrome, now in dozens of communities across the country. We also learn how Lyle's family and faith have shaped his journey as we'll as his involvement with All Pro Dad. That’s’ all on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast.DADS National - https://dadsnational.orgDSI (Down syndrome Indiana) DADS - https://dsindiana.org All Pro Dad - https://www.allprodad.com21st Century Dads Foundation - https://21stCenturyDads.org

Our guest this week is Don Raineri, president of Dads of Steele. Don is the father of four children,, including twins; one with Down Syndrome and the other who, sadly, died at childbirth. We’ll hear Don’s family story, about his faith and Dads of Steele, a charity dedicated to strengthening dads to be more present in their children’s lives. That’s all on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad podcast. Learn about Dads of Steele - https://dadsofsteele.org/mission-focus/Contact Don at don@dadsofsteele.orgLearn more about Special Fathers Network - https://21stcenturydads.org/about-the-special-fathers-network/

Our guest this week is Tony Gayle, a US Army and US Marine veteran as well as father of a son with special needs. He has an amazing story to tell and we’re hearing it in two parts. Last week we heard how Tony grew up on a US military base in Panama, then moved to NYC with his Panamanian mom only to end up in foster care before being raised by an elderly Jewish couple. He served in both the US Marines and US Army. Three years into marriage, he almost lost his Son, Hezekiah, at birth, only to have his wife die a few days later, due to complications from that childbirth. This week, in part two, we’ll hear how Tony and his son have struggled to recover from that loss and continue to move forward. It’s an incredible story from an incredibly powerful story teller. And it’s all in this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad podcast.Show Links: Washington State Fathers Network - https://fathersnetwork.org Kindering Center - https://www.kindering.orgLearn more about the Special Fathers Network at: https://www.21st

Our guest this week on the Dad to Dad Podcast is Tony Gayle, an Army and Marine veteran whose son has special needs. He’s got an amazing story to tell and we’ll hear it in two parts. This week, we’ll hear how Tony almost lost his son when he was born, only to lose his wife from complications of that delivery. It’s an incredibly moving story from an incredibly powerful story teller. And it’s all in this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad podcast.Washington State Fathers Network - https://fathersnetwork.org Kindering Center - https://www.kindering.orghttps://www.21stCenturyDads.org

Our guest on this Dad to Dad Podcast is Rob Kenney of Seattle, WA, who is also known as 'The YouTube Dad' with over 3 million subscribers. Rob has created more than 60 'Dad How Do I?' videos that have taken off in popularity during the COVID pandemic. We’ll hear about Rob’s faith and how the pandemic has brought him a huge internet following. That’s all on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast.Rob’s 6 point mission statement:1. Share God’s love2. Provide a safe space for anybody to learn3. Promote Kindness4. Encourage Other Dads5. Maintain trust with your kids6. Give backSee Rob’s videos at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNepEAWZH0TBu7dkxIbluDwFind more information on Special Fathers Network - https://21stcenturydads.org

Our guest this week is James Mack of Columbia, SC. James has spent his career working with people who have Autism. He also has a step-son who is autistic. We’ll hear James’ unique story and many words of wisdom about raising a child with special needs. That’s all on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. South Carolina Autism Society - www.scautism.org Brookland Baptist Church - https://brooklandbaptist.orgwww.21stCenturyDad.org.