Coffee With Caregivers

In this heartfelt episode of Coffee With Caregivers , host Jess Ronnie sits down with author and homeschooling mom Ashley Jones, who shares her raw and honest journey raising her seven-year-old son Gordon, who was diagnosed with autism and childhood apraxia of speech. Ashley opens up about the early signs she didn't recognize, the years of navigating therapies, meltdowns, and isolation, and the gr...

In this episode of Coffee with Caregivers, Jess sits down with author, speaker, and advocate Amy Julia Becker — mom to Penny, a 20-year-old with Down Syndrome — to explore what it truly means to be made whole. Drawing from her book To Be Made Well , Amy Julia shares how raising Penny dismantled her own hidden hierarchy of human value and opened her eyes to the freedom that comes from embracing vul...

In this episode of Coffee with Caregivers, Jess welcomes Tyler Hudson, an advocate and father of a son with profound autism. Tyler shares his family's journey from Texas to Australia, the challenges they faced with their son Lyric's regressive autism, and the impact of living in a rural area. They discuss the difficulties of elopement, nonverbal communication, and the transition to adulthood for c...

He said, "You don't have to be a hero... you don't have to save the baby's life." Jillian Benfield is a former journalist and news anchor. She holds a broadcast journalism degree from the University of Georgia. As a freelance writer, her essays about living an unexpected life have appeared on sites such as TODAY, Good Morning America, Yahoo! News, and ABC News. Jillian regularly advocates for the...

Jason Hague is an associate pastor of Christ’s Center Church, a mid-size church in Oregon, one of the least churched areas in the United States. He is a husband and a father to five children, including Jack, his seventeen-year-old son with non-verbal autism. Jason has written extensively on the subject of faith and autism, special needs families, and his own journey from grief to acceptance of his...

Debbie, at 50, woke up to the realization that life was too short to be spent prioritizing others over herself. She ditched "I can't" for "Maybe I can," shedding her victim mentality and refusing to let struggles define her. Recently widowed, she's more determined than ever to share her message. Her debut memoir, "On Second Thought... Maybe I Can," earned prai...

Kelley Coleman is a feature film development executive turned author and advocate for parent caregivers and individuals with disabilities. Her book Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child: Your Guide to the Essential Systems, Services, and Supports draws upon over a decade of advocacy, gained through her own journey parenting a child with multiple disabilities. Kelley lives in...

Eileen Lamb, author of "All Across The Spectrum" and “Be The One,” is the founder of The Autism Cafe. She’s also a photographer, podcast host and the Director of Social Media at Autism Speaks. Born in France, Eileen now lives in Austin, Texas, with her two sons, Charlie (11) and Jude (8), and their sister, Billie (1). On her blog, she shares the ups and downs of raising two children with autism, o...

Crystal Polk is a mental health therapist and Licensed Independent Social Worker in South Carolina, specializing in supporting parents of children with disabilities and medical needs through her practice, Better Tomorrow Therapy. Featured in the film "Unseen," Crystal's impactful work has gained recognition. While she may describe herself as a "nervous interviewee," Crystal...

About Alice: "I was raised with three siblings, Pake, Reba, and Susie McEntire, two hard working parents, Clark and Jackie McEntire. 11 first cousins, a grandpap, John McEntire, two maternal Grandparents, Elvin and Reba Smith, and one extra special hired hand Louie Sandman, on a working cattle ranch in se Oklahoma in the 50's thru 1980. There wasn't much our bunch couldn't accomplish or trouble we...

In this episode of Coffee With Caregivers, Jess welcomes Kari Baker, a woman of deep faith, podcaster, author, and founder of Kind Families. Kari shares her heartfelt journey as a caregiver to her son Brady, diagnosed with autism at the age of three. She discusses the challenges, growth, and blessings she and her family have experienced, highlighting her faith and resilience. Discover how her stor...

In this insightful episode of Coffee with Caregivers, Jess sits down with Russ Ewell, a remarkable caregiver and father of three, including two sons with special needs. Russ shares his family's story, detailing their journey after discovering his eldest son had Down Syndrome at birth and later learning his second son had autism. He talks about the challenges they faced, the learning curve they nav...

Kelli Stuart is a wife, mother of five, actress and filmmaker, an award-winning novelist and, most recently, a breast cancer survivor. Kelli and her husband, Lee, were thrust into their roles as caregivers when they adopted their youngest son, Sawyer, from China in 2018. Sawyer is a complex little boy with a laundry list of special needs. He also possesses the most magical smile this side of heave...

"how good it is when I can stop clinging to the illusion of control and just living and being present in today." What a fun, informative episode with Crystal Paine (www.moneysavingmom.com) who is a New York Times bestselling author, a popular speaker, the host of The Crystal Paine Show, and the founder of one of the top personal finance blogs on the web, MoneySavingMom.com. Her desire is to help w...

Lyn is the wife to Brett (psychologist at Pine Rest), mom to Adelyn (and Stephen) and Kylee, and Nana to Sammy. She received her bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Calvin University and her Master's (and 3/4 of an Education Specialist) degree from Michigan State University, but is a loyal "Go Blue" University of Michigan fan. She currently serves as the Director of Family Ministries an...

Michelle Crawford is a single mom of two children living in Oklahoma. Her daughter was vaccine injured at four months old and now has seizures and significant developmental delays. In 2021 her world turned upside down when her estranged husband unexpectedly announced that he had shut down the business leaving her unemployed and with no where to turn for help. Since then, she has struggled to suppo...

Jessica Patay is the founder and executive director of We Are Brave Together (WABT), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that supports caregiving moms with children of all types of disabilities and neuro-diverse diagnoses. In addition, she is a sought-out speaker, podcast guest, writer and retreat coordinator, fundraiser, mother of three, social influencer, and a champion of self-care practices and t...

Dr. Crystal G. Morrison is a highly regarded executive advisor, strategist, leader, scientist, and tech entrepreneur.  While progressing in her career as a scientist, Dr. Morrison was also growing her family.  She has three amazing teenagers.  One of her children is autistic and has additional mental health diagnoses and two of her children were adopted and experienced extreme poverty and trauma e...

Brandi Hurtubise is a full-time caregiver to her daughter Samantha who was born in 2016 with Congenital Cytomeglovirus. As a result Samantha has spastic quad cerebral palsy, epilepsy, hearing loss, cortical vision impairment and microcephaly. She is non-mobile, non-verbal, and receives the majority of her schooling and services in their home in Buffalo, NY. Brandi is also a Mom to Sam's older and...

"Sleep deprivation is one of the hardest things to endure as a parent caregiver." Tonya Andrews. Tonya Andrews is a mom to 3 boys and her youngest is on the spectrum. She has been married for 12 years and lives in Ankeny Iowa and is the President of an autism non profit called L-Evated Coaching and Learning Services. To stay connected with Jess, head to www.jessplusthemess.com.  If you are interes...

Kassondra Lambert is a  parent of a disabled 4 year old. Last year, she started a fundraising journey to fund a wheelchair accessible van. Through that experience, she saw the need to teach families how to fundraise online for medical expenses not covered by insurance. She's the founder of The Striped Stable which teaches copywriting and more to parents so that they can tell their stories in...

"My Mom said, 'you're not educating, you're babysitting'"  Ron Sandison works full time in the medical field and is a professor of theology at Destiny School of Ministry. He is an advisory board member of the Art of Autism and the Els Center of Excellence. Sandison has a Master of Divinity from Oral Roberts University and is the author of A Parent’s Guide to Autism: Practical Advice. Biblical Wisd...

"Don't panic (about the future). Get a will, get a special needs trust and have faith that it will work out."  Dr. Mary Barbera “fell” into the autism world in 1999 when her first-born son, Lucas was diagnosed with autism. Since then, Mary transformed from a confused and overwhelmed parent to a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst and best-selling author.  After earning a PhD, Mary launched her first...

"You have to find ways to get laughter into your day because life is heavy." Amy McCoy is an autism parent, children’s author and disability educator. Her debut children’s novel, Little Big Sister, shares the sibling perspective of growing up with a brother who has autism. Amy combines her expertise as a former elementary school teacher with her experience of parenting a child with autism as she v...

“I was moving up the corporate ladder and making an impact as a black female in tech. I am transparent with my employers and they know that I am a caregiver. It’s a double-edged sword because although they know I’m a caregiver, employers do not fully understand the magnitude of what that comes with. I became a single mother as well shortly after learning about my twin's diagnosis. Although I had m...