The Mark White Show

On this Make A Difference Minute, I’m sharing the story of Rory Amos, a husband, a father, and a hardworking man who is in need of a kidney donor. Rory addresses one of the biggest concerns people have about donation, the cost, and explains how his insurance covers it. He also shares how even if you’re not a direct match, you can still help through paired donation programs that connect donors and...

On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Jamie Gatlin as she shares about her husband, Jeff Gatlin, and his search for a living kidney donor as he lives with polycystic kidney disease (PKD). Jeff has known since his teenage years that he had PKD, a hereditary disease that also claimed his father’s life and affects one of his sisters. For years, he was able to live a relatively normal life, but now...

Jeff Gatlin has lived with Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) since he was a teenager. Now, his kidney function has declined to just 9%. He’s now preparing for dialysis while hoping and praying for a living kidney donor. Tonight, Jeff’s wife, Jamie Gatlin, shares their family’s journey with honesty, courage, and hope. You’ll hear what PKD has meant for their family, why a living donor offers the best...

On this Make a Difference Minute, I have part two with Andrea Barnes, store manager of the new Food City in Athens,AL as she shares how a part-time cashier position became a career she never imagined. Ten years ago, after moving to Chattanooga, Andrea was looking for a fresh start. A stay-at-home mom for 15 years, she applied to Food City after her daughter encouraged her to do the same. What bega...

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to interview Food City Athens,AL, Store Manager Andrea Barnes, and I believe you’re going to enjoy her story. Andrea’s journey began as a part-time cashier in Chattanooga. Through years of hard work, dedication, and leadership, she worked her way up to become the store manager of the new Food City in Athens. She’s also right at home in North Alabama. A graduate of...

On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Andrea Barnes, manager of the new Food City in Athens, AL, as she shares how the company’s Friends in Need program helps fight food insecurity right here in our community. Each holiday season, Food City invites customers to purchase a bag of groceries at a reduced price. Once the campaign ends, those grocery bags are ordered by the pallet and donated to loc...

Tonight on The Mark White Show, I’m honored to welcome Ron Adams and Tabitha Ridlehoover of the Rising Courage Foundation. After surviving cancer himself, Ron turned one of the hardest chapters of his life into a mission to encourage others who are walking the same road. Along with Tabitha, he is helping provide Courage Kits to chemotherapy patients, offering practical items, comfort, and a remind...

On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Ron Adams, founder and president of the Rising Courage Foundation, as he shares how his own cancer journey inspired a mission to encourage others facing one of life’s toughest battles. Ron was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2014 and underwent surgery before entering active surveillance. Eight years later, he heard those life-changing words once again:...

On this Make a Difference Minute, we continue our three-part series highlighting the family behind Aubrey's Love Foundation. After hearing from Aubrey’s dad, Allen, and her mom, Amy, today we hear from Aubrey’s sister, Abby. Abby shares what it was like in the days and months following the accident that claimed Aubrey’s life. She remembers wanting to be alone, but says her parents refused to let h...

On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Stokes Kasmeier from Killen, Alabama, as he shares his lifelong journey with hydrocephalus and why raising awareness is so important. Born prematurely after complications during his mother’s pregnancy, Stokes spent months in the neonatal intensive care unit at Huntsville Hospital as doctors worked to save his life. Along the way, he was diagnosed with hydro...

Imagine being born 11 weeks premature, diagnosed with hydrocephalus as an infant, and undergoing approximately 30 brain surgeries before adulthood. For Stokes Kasmeier of Killen, Alabama, that’s his story. A Brooks High School graduate, Stokes has faced challenges that most of us can hardly imagine. Most recently, a shunt failure and infection led to a month-long stay in the Neuro ICU. Instead of...

On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Katie Humphres-Cagle with Barking Cow Farms as she shares the heart behind a special community event honoring Maddie Bishop while supporting Cooper Terry and his mother as they continue their battles with cancer. Katie encourages people to visit Fight with Maddie and learn about a young girl whose smile never seemed to fade, even through the hardest days. S...

Over the years, The Mark White Show has walked alongside families facing some of life’s toughest battles. Tonight’s show is about two of those journeys and a community determined to make a difference. I’ll be joined by Katie Humphres-Cagle, Marketing & Business Strategist for Barking Cow Farms (owned by Maegan Adrian), to talk about the upcoming Back-to-School Bash and Benefit in Brilliant, Alabam...

On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Paul Bruyneel, better known to many as Santa Paul, as he shares about his recovery following his third shoulder replacement surgery. After decades of physically demanding work, degenerative arthritis took a devastating toll on Paul’s shoulder. Finding a surgeon willing to perform such a complex revision surgery wasn’t easy, and by the time the procedure cou...

Tonight, I’m coming to you from J. Calvert Farms! Most people know him as Santa Paul. Tonight, you’ll meet the man behind the beard. Paul Bruyneel has spent years bringing joy to others. Now, after a third shoulder replacement surgery, he’s facing financial hardship while he and his wife, Syndee, continue caring for their three grandchildren. Join me for “The Heart Behind the Beard” as Paul shares...

On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Shannon and Sherry Ball, founders of Waiting to Hear, as they share how their daughter’s hearing loss became the inspiration for a mission that is now changing the lives of children and families across the country. When their daughter, Sarah, was slow to develop speech, they assumed she simply needed a little extra help. But one day, Shannon called her name...

On tonight’s edition of The Mark White Show! In our first segment, I’ll be joined by Breanne Crowden and Arah Crowden Harkins at Donna & Friends as they share about 16-year-old Kade Worley and his courageous journey living with seizures. They’ll talk about the challenges Kade has faced, the road ahead, and how the support of family, friends, and the community has made a difference during this diff...

On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Breanne Crowden as she shares about her 16-year-old son, Kade Worley, and the incredible support their family is receiving as they prepare for the next stage of his medical journey. Breanne talks about the generosity of Donna & Friends, who organized a benefit bean dinner to help the family as Kade faces additional testing and surgery. With Breanne expectin...

On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Dr. Larry Charleston IV, a board-certified neurologist and headache medicine specialist, as he discusses the challenges of treating migraine disease and cluster headaches. Migraine disease affects an estimated 43 million Americans, while cluster headaches, though much rarer, are considered among the most painful neurological conditions. Dr. Charleston expla...

On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Jamie Schanbaum, a survivor of meningococcal disease whose life changed forever while she was attending college in Texas. Like many college students, Jamie was simply enjoying campus life when what seemed like flu-like symptoms quickly turned into a medical emergency. Within hours, she was fighting for her life. She spent seven months in the hospital, and t...

On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Dr. Michael Milobsky, a practicing pediatrician and founder of Pediatrics at the Meadows in Castle Rock, Colorado, as we discuss meningococcal disease and why parents should have an informed conversation with their child’s healthcare provider before the new school year begins. Although meningococcal disease is uncommon, it can become life-threatening in as...

Tonight, we’re sharing a conversation that every parent, grandparent, and caregiver should hear. Meningococcal disease, often called meningitis, is uncommon, but when it strikes, it can change a life in a matter of hours. Joining me tonight are Dr. Michael Milobsky, practicing pediatrician, Jamie Schanbaum, a meningococcal disease survivor, and Patsy Schanbaum, Jamie’s mother. Together, they share...

On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Lennon and Camryn Curtis, along with Irie Blade, as they share how a simple lemonade stand became an opportunity to help seniors in their community. Through Cousins for a Cause, the cousins came together to raise money for Meals on Wheels. Everyone had a role, from making lemonade and creating signs to pouring drinks, greeting customers, and explaining wher...

Tonight, I’m excited to introduce you to some young difference makers who prove you’re never too young to change someone’s life. Joining me are Lennon Curtis, Irie Blade, and Camryn Curtis as they share the story behind Cousins for a Cause, a special effort that also included Miles Curtis, Mia, Lily, and Holly. Together, these cousins hosted a lemonade stand to benefit Meals on Wheels and the seni...

On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Misty George with Jagger's Journey as she shares why supporting families facing rare diseases goes far beyond medical care. When Jagger was first diagnosed, Misty and her family entered a world they knew very little about. At first, they feared leukemia. When doctors explained it was a rare disease instead, there was a brief sense of relief. That relief qui...