Special Fathers' Network Podcast

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 - [email protected] 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 - [email protected] - 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 - [email protected] 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

Meet Greg Hubert of Torrance, CA, who is an executive at Joni & Friends, the Christian Global Disability Ministry and father of three boys on the Autism spectrum.Greg and his wife, Gina, have been married for 33 years and are the proud parents of three boys; Zachary (29), Tyler (27) and Tate (23), who are all on the Autism spectrum.Greg reflects on his Faith, his career in the medical device sales industry, the call to do work at Joni & Friends, and the rather unusual as well as dysfunctional relationship with his biological father. We also learn a great deal about the history and impact that Joni & Friends has made over the past four decades across the globe and in particular with assisting churches to become more inclusive and accepting of persons with disability and the J&Fs Wheels To The World program that has provided more than 200,000 wheelchairs to those outside the U.S. It's a uplifting story about a father’s love for his family and how his special needs child has shaped his heart.Jon

Our guest this week is Dan Habib, an outspoken advocate for the disabled, a gifted photojournalist and award winning documentarian. One of those documentaries is “Including Samuel” which profiles his 21 year old son, Samuel, who was diagnosed with GNAO1, a rare neurodevelopment disorder. Other award winning films include: "Mr. Connolly Has ALS" and "Intelligent Lives." We’ll hear about Dan’s advocacy for those touched by disability, about his family, the documentaries as well as how Samuel continues to thrive and inspire, all on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/danhabib/ Email – [email protected]'s TedX Talk: "Disabling Segregation" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izkN5vLbnw8Westchester Institute For Human Development - https://www.wihd.org/what-we-do/inclusive-communities-2/University of New Hampshire Institute on Disability – https://iod.unh.edu Documentaries -“Including Samuel” - https://includingsamuel.com/“Intelligent Lives”. https://intelligen

Our guest this week is Paul Mannino of Libertyville, IL, who is CFO at the Archdiocese of Chicago and the father of four, including Sofia (18) who has Down syndrome. Paul talks very openly and authentically about his career, which included overseas assignments, his family and recent divorce. We’ll hear Paul’s story on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulvmannino/ Western DuPage Special Recreation Association - https://www.warrenvilleparks.org/programs/wdsra/ 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 could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younge

Our guest this week is Frederick Jefferson of Houston, TX, who is the father of three, an Army veteran, retiree from the Department of Justice Bureau of Prisons and founder of Man II Man, a non-profit effort serving families raising children with special needs. Frederick was inspired to create Man II Man based on his experience raising his daughter, Jasmine (22), who has Autism. We’ll hear Frederick’s story on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. Blue Skies Over Autism - http://blueskyesoverautism.com/index.htmlMan II Man. http://blueskyesoverautism.com/man-ii-man-support-group.htmlSpecial 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 could relate

Our guest this week is John Rosemond of New Bern, NC, who is the father of two, grandfather of seven, a licensed family psychologist, the author of a dozen books on childrearing, a widely syndicated columnist, a sought after speaker and by some measure: “America’s Most Widely Read Parenting Expert.” Some of the book titles include: "Grandma Was Right After all" "Parenting By The Book" and "The Well Behaved Child" John is syndicated in approximately 225 newspapers nationwide and has the longest running continuous newspaper column, for a record breaking 45 years. We’ll hear his thoughts on raising children, the importance of being a good husband and more sage advice on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast.To learn more or contact John Rosemond go to: https://www.rosemond.comSpecial 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 somethi

Our guest this week is Mike Ensminger of Conroe, TX. Mike is the father of three, including Aaron, 15, who is autistic. We’ll hear about Mike’s journey as a stepfather to a child with special needs, about his faith walk and much more on this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast.Blue Skies Over Autism - http://blueskyesoverautism.comNight of Superstars Houston - http://www.nightofsuperstars.org/houston/ Autism On The Seas - https://autismontheseas.com Mike’s Cell # - 469-733-7364Special 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 could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning

Our guest this week is Dr. Taruj Ali, a pulmonologist and father of three, including Daanish (20) who has severe Autism and is non-verbal. We’ll hear the Ali family story and with the help of organizations like MUHSEN, the PANDAS Center and Autism Society of Central VA, how they have helped Daanish live a happy and satisfying life. That’s all in this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast.MUHSEN - www.muhsen.orgThe Autism Society of Central Virginia: https://ascv.orgPANDAS Center, Richmond, VA - https://www.medicinenet.com/pandas/richmond-va_city.htm 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 could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor F