The Mark White Show

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...

On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Jessica Darby as she shares about losing her husband, Ethan, and helping their two young boys navigate grief while carrying her own. Jessica talks about the support her family has received through Caring House and the challenge of recognizing that sometimes the big emotions of childhood grief are about much more than what appears to be happening in the mome...

At just 33 years old, Jessica Darby is navigating life without her husband, Ethan, while raising their six- and eight-year-old boys. She wants people to understand what they can’t see from the outside, including the grief behind a child’s difficult moment and the weight of decisions she never expected to make alone. Tonight, Jessica shares about the husband and father they miss, the people who con...

On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Dr. Michael Merzenich, one of the neuroscience pioneers whose early work helped establish the foundation for multichannel cochlear implants. Dr. Merzenich reflects on the scientific and engineering challenges once thought nearly impossible and the collaborative work that ultimately helped give more than one million people worldwide access to sound and spoke...

I’ve shared many stories about Bankston Motor Homes and the wishes they’ve helped make possible through their partnership with Make-A-Wish Alabama. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to see the heart behind those wishes firsthand. On this Make a Difference Minute, I’m taking you to Bankston Motor Homes in Huntsville, where Make-A-Wish Alabama Wish Coordinator Tonya Baker shares what these camper wis...

Tonight’s guest is one of the most accomplished and fascinating people I’ve had the opportunity to interview. Dr. Michael Merzenich helped establish the neurological foundation for the modern multichannel cochlear implant. His research contributed to electrode design, implant safety, and some of the earliest clinical trials of a technology that now provides access to sound and spoken communication...

On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Labrina Solomon, founder and president of Joshua's Wish. After losing her five-year-old son, Joshua, to DIPG in 2009, LaBrina and her family turned their love for him into a mission to help other families and advance research toward better treatments and, ultimately, a cure. Joshua’s Wish has contributed more than $250,000 to the brain tumor program at St....

Tonight, I’m joined by Labrina Solomon, president and co-founder of Joshua's Wish. Labrina and her husband, Trent, created Joshua’s Wish after losing their 5-year-old son, Joshua, to DIPG, an aggressive form of childhood brain cancer. For 17 years, they have carried his memory forward by supporting families, raising awareness and helping fund pediatric brain tumor research. We’ll talk about Joshua...

On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Dr. Leigh Wilson, Medical Director of the NYC Health + Hospitals World Trade Center Health Program Clinical Center of Excellence, as we recognize 25 years since the September 11th attacks. Dr. Wilson explains how exposure to dust, debris and other substances in the New York City disaster area has been connected to respiratory illnesses, digestive conditions...

Maisy Rhinehart entered the world at only 22 weeks, weighing 1 pound, 2.5 ounces. A Grade IV bilateral brain bleed caused hydrocephalus, and she spent 145 days in the NICU. By the age of six, Maisy has already undergone five brain surgeries. Despite everything she has faced, Maisy is a happy little girl who is now navigating kindergarten like a champ. Her family celebrates how well she is doing wh...

Tonight, I'm sharing two very different conversations about lives shaped by extraordinary events. Dr. Leigh Wilson, medical director of the NYC Health + Hospitals World Trade Center Health Program Clinical Center of Excellence, will explain why the health effects of September 11th didn’t end 25 years ago. She’ll discuss conditions that may now be surfacing among people who were exposed as children...

On this Make a Difference Minute, City of Athens, Alabama, Mayor Ronnie Marks shares his perspective on Operation We Remember and the 150 Alabama veterans lost to suicide over a 12-month period. A Vietnam veteran himself, Mayor Marks reminds us that supporting veterans means more than remembering. It means recognizing when someone may be struggling, reaching out and letting them know they don’t ha...

On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Brian Burkhardt, co-founder and executive director of the Oliver Patch Project, as he shares how students across the country can use their creativity to encourage children facing cancer and other serious health challenges through the Great American Patch Off. Teachers and community groups can participate at GreatAmericanPatchOff.com, with free curriculum, l...

Tonight, I’m joined by Brian Burkhardt, co-founder and executive director of the Oliver Patch Project. When Brian and Trisha Burkhardt’s 9-year-old son, Oliver, was diagnosed with leukemia, thousands of patches arrived to encourage him. Oliver wore them on a denim jacket that became his “suit of armor.” That outpouring of kindness grew into a nationwide mission serving children facing cancer and o...

On this Make a Difference Minute, Limestone County, Ala. - Commission Commissioner Collin Daly shares his thoughts from Operation We Remember, an Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs effort focused on veteran suicide prevention and support. Collin talks about the importance of physically showing up for veterans who may be struggling, recognizes Limestone County Veterans Service Officer Matthew B...

Tonight, I’ll be coming to you from the Limestone County Courthouse in Athens, as I speak with Limestone County Commission Chairman Collin Daly, Athens Mayor and Vietnam veteran Ronnie Marks, and Limestone County Veterans Service Officer Matthew Bozigian about Operation We Remember. Currently, there are 150 flags placed on the courthouse lawn representing 150 Alabama veterans who died by suicide d...

On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Hannah Wilson, mother of Charlie Mae. Through Charlie Mae’s First Day, Hannah is continuing her daughter’s legacy by helping children understand that inclusion doesn’t require having all the answers. It can begin with kindness. To learn more about Hannah, Charlie Mae’s story, and the effort to encourage compassion, inclusion, & acceptance, visit CharlieMaes...

Some children eat with a fork, some use a spoon, & some receive their nutrition through a feeding tube. What matters most is that every child receives the nourishment they need and knows they belong. On this edition of TMWS, Gerard Minor, PA-C, M.M.S., joins me to discuss tube feeding, common misunderstandings and how parents can help children embrace classmates who may eat, move, learn or communi...

On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Jen Rubino, founder of Cards for Hospitalized Kids. Jen shares how her own experience undergoing more than 20 surgeries—and one simple card she received during a difficult hospital stay—inspired an effort that now brings people of all ages together to encourage hospitalized children. This Make a Difference Minute is brought to you by Bama Estate Planning by...

On this Make A Difference Minute, I have Steffenie Jenkins sharing the journey she and her family have faced as they searched for answers for their son, Jacob. Now 21 years old, Jacob is battling bronchiolitis obliterans, a rare and irreversible lung disease, and is receiving treatment through Mayo Clinic in Arizona. As Jacob’s health declined, Steffenie found herself in a position many families k...

On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Eric Christianson as he shares about South Bend to Spring Valley: The Davids-Sims Story, a book he co-wrote with his late wife, Joyce. Eric shares how the friendship between the Davids and Sims families developed in 1959, during a period of racial division in America, and how their faith and belief in one another allowed them to look beyond race and focus o...

Tonight, we’re sharing a remarkable story that began with a radio broadcast, a letter, and a simple act of friendship. In 1959, Roselyn Davids was listening to an NBC radio program hosted by Bob Considine when she heard David Sims, a Black father of eight living in South Bend, Indiana, say that he had never been invited into a white person’s home as a guest. Roselyn decided to change that. She and...

On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Teague McKay, educator at the Jesse Owens Museum in Danville, Alabama, as we look beyond the four gold medals Jesse Owens won 90 years ago in Berlin. Teague shares a part of Owens’ story that can easily be overshadowed by his athletic accomplishments was his devotion to family. From working after school in Cleveland to worrying about how he would continue h...

Ninety years ago, fellow Alabamian Jesse Owens stepped onto the world stage at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin and won four gold medals. His performance represented more than athletic greatness. Through his courage, character and excellence, Owens challenged racial hatred and left a legacy that continues to inspire people around the world. Tonight, I'm joined by Jesse Owens Museum Educator Teague...

On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Rob Langford as he shares about Take Back the Day, a free community concert in Trussville, AL, marking the 25th anniversary of September 11th while supporting local veterans. Rob shares why this event is about more than music. It is about remembering those we lost, honoring those who served, supporting veterans who may be struggling today, and bringing a co...