Brave Together Podcast: Support and Community for Caregiving Parents

Continuing the Brave Together series celebrating Trailblazing Moms, this week Jessica speaks with Jess Ronne, an author, speaker, podcast host, and caregiver advocate.  Jess Ronne is founder and executive director of The Lucas Project—a non-profit dedicated to providing recognition, resources, and respite for special needs families. She and her husband Ryan live in Tennessee with their 8 children,...

What will it take to change the way society cares for the basic needs of carers and those with disabilities in public spaces? How can we create a world where more families can leave the house knowing they have somewhere to attend their needs with dignity?   Jessica interviews Christina Abernethy, a mom and the founder of Love, Hope and Autism. Christina is proud to be the coordinator for Changing...

In this episode of the Brave Together podcast, Jessica speaks about some of the things she has learned while raising Ryan. What really matters as we guide our children into adulthood? Do we need to work to change every behavior that is not a neuro-typical behavior? Do we really need to try and "fix" things? Or, can we make peace with our children and let them change US, instead? Brave To...

We are celebrating stepdads!  Any parent that steps wholeheartedly into a new family is a courageous, powerful soul. For families with children who have special needs, the courage and vulnerability of stepdads is so worth celebrating. Continuing our Father's Day series highlighting dads, this week on the Brave Together pod Jessica interviews Danielle Peretz and Khaled Al Khatib. Khaled is ste...

Today on the podcast Jessica and Chris Patay talk about fatherhood, and Chris’s journey over the years raising Luke, Kate, and their son, Ryan, who has Prader-Willi syndrome, a rare, genetic disorder. Jessica interviews Chris about the duality of joy and pain in being a father, as well as the vital power of community for dads. Brave Together Podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp, an organization work...

On this episode of the Brave Together podcast, Jessica speaks with Ashley Barlow, an SPED  Attorney and Advocate about the top 5 traits that can help parents be effective in advocating for kids during their journeys through the education system. In a former life, Ashley was a German teacher in Jefferson County Public Schools and Cincinnati Public Schools, having taught nearly every grade from K to...

Laurie Magulac returns to the Brave Together podcast to speak with Jessica about invisible illnesses… how do we advocate for children with unseen special needs, how do we set boundaries with family and friends that do not understand, and what is it like to teach a child to advocate for themselves as they grow? Laurie Magulac is a life coach, educator, and mother of four, ages twelve to young adult...

Today on the Brave Together Pod, we hear from Michele and Julie, two mothers of adult children with multiple special needs. Listen and hear their wisdom, their vulnerability, and celebration stories. Julie Paterson draws her energy by being and connecting with others.  She’s been married to the love of her life for 31 years and is grateful to be blessed with two amazing sons, Kyle and Dylan.  Both...

This week, we hear from returning guest Sarah Swindell, author of Rounding Home. She shares a little more of her family’s journey, and in this conversation, Jessica and Sarah pinpoint some of the biggest ingredients in walking the long road from tragedy to triumph. Sarah Swindell lives in the Austin area with her husband, Greg, a former Major League Baseball player and 2019 Texas Sports Hall of Fa...

Jessica Patay, Shawn Francis and Brian Altounian dive into why Life Insurance isn’t something to be nervous, confused, or overwhelmed by - especially for families in the special needs community. There are so many ways life insurance can help families live more easily in the present - as well as prepare their children for the future. Brian and Shawn are hosts of the Just Two Dads podcast and father...

We are celebrating Stepmoms! Any mother that steps wholeheartedly into a new family is a courageous, powerful soul. For families with children who have special needs, the courage and vulnerability of stepmoms is so worth celebrating. This week on the podcast, in honor of Mother’s Day, Jessica Patay interviews three amazing stepmoms: Tony Salisbury, Daisy Vasquez Vogt, and Jennifer M. McIrnerney. B...

In this episode of Shine a Light on Rare Diseases, hear Amy Neyer and Carla Zimmerman discuss their children’s’ medical journeys with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and MCAS… and be inspired as they share what brings them and their children joy as the family navigates life with multiple rare diagnoses.  Brave Together is the podcast for We are Brave Together, a not-for-profit organization based in the USA...

Today on the podcast, Jessica and Stephanie blow the doors wide open on how perfectionism can stop us (and those we love!) from really living. In this inspiring, freeing episode, you’ll hear Stephanie’s amazing story and celebrate with us as we champion the power of identity over ability. Since sharing her story, Stephanie has achieved viral success with her website, Tinkles Her Pants, which chron...

This week Jessica Patay interviews Sarah, Laurie and Ann - three warrior moms who’ve picked up the pen and written their stories. We hope that in listening you’ll be encouraged, equipped inspired to write your own story; the world needs to hear it! Sarah Swindell lives in the Austin area with her husband, Greg, a former Major League Baseball player and 2019 Texas Sports Hall of Fame Inductee. Sara...

Whether it’s the loss of community and the pain of these last 12 months, a difficult diagnosis, an imagined future, or the loss of a loved one, we all have experienced grief. Today on the show, Jessica Patay and Ashley Jones speak about how we can heal in our grief, how our communities are vital to the process. Ashley Jones is the founder of Love Not Lost , an organization on a mission to revoluti...

As moms, we often carry the flag for our children in the special needs community. Today, Jessica Patay interviews two dads of children with special needs whose experiences as parents have changed the course of their lives, careers, and dreams.    Shawn Francis and his wife of 14 years, Laura, are parents to seven children, one of which is their biological son who is 13 & was diagnosed with Aut...

Have you met Larkin O’Leary? She’s the first guest in our periodical series, “Trailblazing Moms!” which highlights the stories of world-moving mothers in the special needs community! Larkin O’Leary is the president and co-founder of Common Ground Society. She and her husband Peter have two kids, James (6) and JuneBelle (1.5). Her son James, who was born with Down's Syndrome and hearing loss,...

Today on the Brave Together podcast, we have our first Celebration Story, with author and speaker, Nicola Irvine! Nicola was born in New Zealand, and has lived for nearly 30 years in Indonesia, Hong Kong, and the US. Her son Thomas contracted bacterial meningitis at a young age, leaving him with many lifelong challenges. Nicola has since then devoted her life to make a difference for herself, for...

In this episode of the Brave Together podcast, Jessica Patay and her dear friend Kimberly Kooy discuss some of the therapies available for those carrying the trauma that can come from years of extreme caregiving. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapy treatment that was originally designed to alleviate the distress associated with traumatic memories. Learn more abo...

Today, Jessica Patay and Samantha Morey speak about how to discern, process and defend against the guilt and shame that can creep into our busy lives! Called to counsel women and families towards wholehearted living, Samantha has a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy from Hope International University, and she works with the Center for Individual and Family Therapy in Torrance, CA.  Brave Toget...

The idea of Dear Younger Me series came from an annual event that We Are Brave Together offers. Experienced, expert moms share their wisdom on a variety of topics to moms earlier in their journey... it's organic mentoring at its best! This week, we hear stories from Jessica Patay, Linda Ryan and Lisa Graziano about raising adult children with PWS.  Brave Together is the podcast for We are Bra...

Meet the YaYa Sisterhood! In today’s episode, Jessica introduces us to four incredible women who’ve supported one another through thick and thin, for over 35 years. The value of community and friendship is undeniable, and we can’t wait for you to be encouraged by their story.  Brave Together is the podcast for We are Brave Together, a not-for-profit organization based in the USA. The heart of We A...

Chris Ioimo, LMFT, and Clinical Director of Journeys Counseling in Torrance, California, joins Jessica Patay in discussing why conflict can actually strengthen marriages. As a marriage and family counsellor, and having grown up with a medically fragile older brother with special needs, Chris's insights into the unique pressures a marriage can face are so valuable to families during this time....

Jessica Patay and Rachel Rush discuss mindfulness as a practice to help us through the challenging and overwhelming seasons of our lives. Mindfulness is a practical tool that trains our brains to process intense situations with less stress. Rachel is a Certified Mindfulness Teacher through Mindful Schools and is trained in the MindUp Curriculum. She was inspired to teach students mindfulness when...

In this second Rare Diseases Highlight, Jessica Patay speaks with Leah Moore, mother of Jordan, who has Cri du Chat, a rare genetic disorder cause by a partial chromosome deletion.  Its name is a French term ("call of the cat") referring to the characteristic cat-like cry of affected children.  Leah is a high school educator and mother of three, and and in this episode, she vulnerably an...