Special Fathers' Network Podcast

On this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad podcast, host David Hirsch speaks with Jon Heckert. Jon and his wife Doris are parents of a son, Jackson, who was diagnosed early in life with special needs. In the Heckert household the word can’t doesn’t exist. Jon makes sure Jackson competes in races and he takes him on hunting trips. Jon is indeed a special dad. As a side note, just prior to this interview, host David Hirsch pushed Jackson in the Louisiana Half Marathon. We’ll hear all about that and more on this Dad to Dad podcast, presented by The Special Fathers Network. To find out about Ainsley’s Angels, who make it possible for special needs kids to compete in endurance races go to https://ainsleysangels.org. To find out about Hunt of a Lifetime, go to https://huntofalifetime.org. To hear about the mission of 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 speaks with Josh Avis, father of three and cofounder of The Lucky Few Instagram account and podcast. Josh and his wife Heather have adopted three children two of whom have Down Syndrome. Josh and Heather consider themselves among the lucky few to have two children with special needs, in fact, Avis has written a book entitled The Lucky Few: Finding God’s Best in the Most Unlikely Places, which you can find at Amazon. We’ll hear all about the Avis family and The Lucky Few on this Dad to Dad podcast. To find out about The Lucky Few and to hear the podcast go to https://www.theluckyfewpodcast.com. To hear about this mission of The Special Fathers Network go https://21stcenturydads.org/about-the-special-fathers-network. Lastly hear’s the link to the Amazon page for The Lucky Few: Finding God’s Best in the Most Unlikely Places. https://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Few-Finding-Unlikely-Places/dp/0310345464/ref=sr_

On this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad podcast, host David Hirsch speaks with special father Jude Morrow, of Derry Northern Ireland. Jude’s son, Ethan, doesn’t have special needs, Jude himself, the dad has special needs. He’s on the autism spectrum and he’s written a book about his experience which will be available in April 2020. It’s a fascinating conversation and it’s all on this Dad to Dad Podcast. Visit Jude Morrow Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/jude.morrow.7And learn more about the Special Fathers Network at 21stcenturydads.org.

On this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad podcast, host David Hirsch speaks with special father Steve Mogul, a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services and a father of two children who both have very rare developmental disorders. Hayley, is only one of 19 in the world who has a rare form of Smith–Magenis Syndrome. Bari, is one of only 19 in the world who have a mutated GRIN2B gene. It’s a very unique situation and Steve spells out the challenges that his family faces. He also offers other parents of kids with special needs some truly insightful advice. That’s all on this Dad to Dad podcast. To find out about Smith-Magenis syndrome go to:https://www.smsresearchfoundation.org, https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/8197/smith-magenis-syndrome. To read about the GRIN@B gene, go to http://grin2b.com/about-grin2b/. And learn more about the Special Fathers Network at 21stcenturydads.org.

On this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad podcast, Host David Hirsch speaks with special father John Kimec, principal of St. John De Sales, a Catholic High School in Chicago, Illinois. John and his wife Lindsay have five children including Michael who has Pierpont Syndrome and is non-verbal. John and host David Hirsch will talk about the challenges and joys of raising a son with special needs on this Dad to Dad podcast presented by The Special Fathers Network. To find out about the work being done on Pierpont Syndrome go to https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4495254. To learn about the Special Fathers Network, go to 21stcenturydads.org.

On this Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad podcast, Host David Hirsch speaks with Chad Johnson. Chad is a father of six children and a military veteran with three tours of duty. Chad talks frankly to David Hirsch about dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, while raising 6 kids including Cameron who was diagnosed with CHARGE Syndrome. Chad is also heavily involved with Retrieving Freedom a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization that pairs military veterans and youth with Autism with service dogs. Chad also has his own service dog, who has really helped Chad deal with his PTSD. To see more on Retrieving Freedom go to www.retrievingfreedom.org. And to learn about the Special Fathers Network, go to 21stcenturydads.org.

On this Dad to Dad podcast, host David Hirsch talks to Special Kneads and Treats bakery co-founder/owner Michael Kohler. Michael is the father of two young adults, Ashley and Bradley, who at age 29, has Fragile X Syndrome. Michael talks of family, work and how he and his wife Tempa formed the Special Kneads and Treats bakery that employs young adults with special needs. They also provide free birthday cakes for kids whose families can’t afford them. Go to www.specialkneadsandtreats.org to find out more. Learn more about Fragile X syndrome at www.fragilex.org. And to learn about the Special Fathers Network, go to 21stcenturydads.org.

On this Dad to Dad podcast, host David Hirsch talks with special father Jeff Katz. Jeff is the afternoon host of The Jeff Katz Show at News Radio WRVA, in Richmond Virginia. He has three children including Julie who has global development delays and is non-verbal. Jeff tells his life story and why he truly treasures his daughter Julia. That’s all on this Dad to Dad podcast. To find out more about Jeff and WRVA go to Newsradiowrva.radio.com/shows/jeff-katz. To learn about the Special Fathers Network, go to 21stcenturydads.org.

That’s Mark Paterson, an executive in the industrial equipment industry, and father of a boy who is autistic. Mark speaks candidly with our host David Hirsch about some of the difficulties of raising a child with special needs. That’s on this Dad to Dad podcast. To find out about Little City go to www.littlecity.org. To learn about the Special Fathers Network, go to 21stcenturydads.org.

On this Dad to Dad podcast, host David Hirsch talks to special father, Cory Estby, the pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in Grant Park, Illinois. Cory and his wife Christena have four children including two adopted brothers who both have Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Hear the fascinating story of how these two young boys became a part of the Estby family on this Dad to Dad podcast. Visit Giftofadoption.org to find out more, also check out parentprojectmd.org to find out about Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. To learn about the Special Fathers Network, go to 21stcenturydads.org.

On this Dad to Dad podcast, host David Hirsch talks to special father, Jim Rigg, the superintendent of catholic education at the Archdiocese of Chicago. Jim has four children including Daniel, who is autistic and diabetic. We’ll hear about the challenges of raising a son with multiple special needs and about Jim’s personal work in helping educate other kids with special needs. That’s all in this Dad to Dad Podcast, presented by the Special Fathers Network. To find out more about the schools of the Archdioscese of Chicago click on schools.archchicago.org, to find out more about the Special Fathers Network, go to 21stcenturydads.org.

In this Dad to Dad podcast host David Hirsch talks to Shane Sondergeld, a doctor from Brisbane, Australia. Shane is a father of three children including William, who was diagnosed with 4Q deletion syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. Shane tells the Sondergeld family story and how having a child with a disability is truly a wonder. That’s all on this Dad to Dad podcast. Find out more about the Special Fathers Network at 21stCenturyDads.com.

Meet John Crowley, a special father of three kids with special needs. Two of those children have a rare genetic disorder called Pompe disease. John and his wife Aileen were told that Meghan and Patrick would not live very long. So, they took matters into their own hands and helped develop a drug that successfully treats the disorder. They formed a successful RX company, Amicus, whose mission is to find treatments for rare diseases. Their story was told in a book, a movie starring Harrison Ford and by the President of the United States in a joint session of congress. And today, John Crowley tells his story to our host David Hirsch, on this Dad to Dad podcast. You can find out more about John’s mission at www.Amicusrx.com, or he can reached via Linked In at linkedin.com/company/amicus-therapeutics/. Also: https://wish.org and https://globalgenes.org For more information about the Special Fathers Network go to: www.21stCenturyDads.org.

Host David Hirsch talks to special father, Dan Tepperman. Dan has two boys including 20 year old Scott who is autistic. Dan talks about the challenges and rewards of raising a child with special needs and the family's decision to use Little City (www.littlecity.org) to help Scott thrive and the family to regain its balance. That’s all in this Dad to Dad Podcast, presented by the Special Fathers Network. To find out more about the Special Fathers Network, go to 21stcenturydads.org.

Host David Hirsch talks to special father, Tom Costello. Tom has twin 17 year-old boys, both with Autism. Tom tells us their story and how they’re both are blessed with incredible empathy. It’s a great listen and it’s all in this Dad to Dad Podcast, presented by the Special Fathers Network. To find out more about the Special Fathers Network, go to 21stcenturydads.org.

John Dodd is our guest on this Dad to Dad podcast. John has a daughter with Down Syndrome. He’s also had some significant challenges in his life but has remained incredibly upbeat. He’s a model for us all. Hear John’s incredible story on this Dad to Dad podcast, presented by the Special Fathers Network. To find out more about the Special Fathers Network, go to 21stcenturydads.org.

He’s written and directed some of the funniest movies to come out of Hollywood:Airplane and Naked Gun among them. He’s Jim Abrahams, and he’s our guest on this Dad to Dad Podcast. Jim has a son, Charlie, who at a young age was experiencing severe epileptic seizures. The medications prescribed and surgery performed by Charlie’s doctors weren’t effective, so Jim did his own research and found that a special high-fat diet might help. With the help of a dietician Charlie adopted the diet and miraculously, the seizures stopped. Hear the story of a dad taking matters into his own hands and making a life-saving difference for his son. That’s all on this Dad to Dad Podcast, presented by the Special Fathers Network. To find out more about the Special Fathers Network, go to 21stcenturydads.org.

On this Dad to Dad podcast, host David Hirsch talks with Special Father Jerry Castro, a financial industry veteran and father of 8, including Jack who passed away from complications due to premature birth at age 15. Jerry tells how his son was a real positive influence on the Castro family and that his legacy lives on. That’s all on this Dad to Dad Podcast, presented by the Special Fathers Network. To find out more about the Special Fathers network, go to 21stcenturydads.org.

On this Dad to Dad podcast, host David Hirsch talks with Special Father John Felageller, a 4th grade teacher and father of 11-year-old Christopher, who is autistic. John and his wife Elizabeth have been through some challenging times but have emerged stronger thanks in part to their involvement an evangelical christian church. That’s all on this Dad to Dad Podcast, presented by the Special Fathers Network. To find out more about the Special Fathers network, go to 21stcenturydads.org.

On this Dad to Dad podcast host David Hirsch talks to Shane Lee, a systems administrator and a father of five, including Jocelyn, who sadly passed away at age 4 ½ from complications related to Spinal Muscular Atrophy. We’ll hear the amazing story of the Lee family and their travails and triumphs over SMA on this Dad to Dad Podcast, presented by the Special Fathers Network. To find out more about the Special Fathers network, go to 21stcenturydads.org.