The Mark White Show

On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Mrs. Alabama 2025 Brianna Sistrunk as she shares about Chasing the Rainbows, an organization supporting families experiencing infertility, miscarriage, pregnancy loss, and infant loss. For Brianna, the mission is deeply personal. After losing her daughter Madison, she eventually began sharing her experience through a series of videos on YouTube. Her goal wa...

Tonight, I’m joined by Brianna Sistrunk, Alabama State Ambassador for Chasing the Rainbows. For Brianna, this work is personal. In 2015, Brianna was 19 weeks pregnant when she lost her daughter, Madison. A year later, she experienced an ectopic pregnancy. Those losses became part of her story and, over time, part of her desire to help other families walking through infertility, miscarriage, pregna...

On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Johnny Owens, son of country music legend Buck Owens, as he reflects on his father’s life, music, and the legacy he left behind. For Johnny, one word captures much of what mattered to his father: true. Buck Owens helped define the Bakersfield Sound, bringing a distinctive California edge to country music while remaining committed to what he believed country...

Tonight, I have the privilege of talking with Johnny Owens, son of country music legend Buck Owens, for an in-depth conversation about one of the most influential figures in country music history. We’ll take a deep dive into Buck Owens’ remarkable career, the Bakersfield Sound that changed country music forever, the story behind the timeless classic “Act Naturally,” and Johnny’s decision to record...

On this edition of The Mark White Show, I'm talking with Jewell Brown, a mother and grandmother who is courageously living with end stage kidney failure and searching for a living kidney donor. Twenty years ago, Jewell received a kidney transplant from her mother, a gift that allowed her to raise her sons, build a life, and become the proud Mimi of three grandchildren. That transplant gave her yea...

On this Make A Difference Minute, I’m sharing Jewell Brown’s journey and her need for a kidney donor. After facing kidney challenges since childhood and receiving a transplant from her mom that has lasted 20 years, Jewel is now in renal failure and searching for a living donor. This segment highlights both the reality that transplants are not always permanent and the opportunity for someone to mak...

On this edition of The Mark White Show, I’m sharing the story of Rory Amos, a husband, father, and hardworking provider who continues to push forward in the face of serious health challenges. Rory has been on peritoneal dialysis for the past three years and is currently on the transplant list for a kidney at UAB and St. Thomas in Nashville. His journey has included life-changing complications from...

On this Make a Difference Minute, I’m sharing a portion of a conversation I had with my Uncle Sewell Hall, who passed away last Sunday at the age of 96. This interview was recorded in the spring of 2019. As Uncle Sewell reflected on his childhood, he remembered a family that moved often because his father was a preacher. Though money was tight, he never spoke of hardship with bitterness. Instead,...

Some of you have asked if I would re-air my conversation with my Uncle Sewell Hall. Tonight, I’m honored to do just that. Originally recorded in the spring of 2019 for the Athens Bible School graduating class & beyond, this conversation has taken on a much deeper meaning following Uncle Sewell’s passing. You’ll hear him reflect on the family that shaped him, the lessons he learned through decades...

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...