Dad to Dad Podcast

Our guest this week is Dr. Patrick Schwarz , of Highland Park, IL who is CEO of Creative Culture Consulting, a public speaker, author of numerous books and an outspoken advocate for inclusive education for people of all abilities. Dr. Schwarz earned his BS, MS and PhD in special education from the University of Wisconsin - Madison.   Dr. Schwarz is a dynamic professor, author, and motivational spe...

Our guest this week is Jamiel Owens, of Hatfield, PA who is a volunteer firefighter, advocate for those with disability, founder of Ausomeness Inc. and a father of two, including a son who is autistic. Jamiel and his wife, Marta Santa, have been married for 5 years and you are the proud father of two children: Alejandro (3) and Shane (16), who is Autistic. With little more than a GED, Jamiel has b...

Our guest this week is Eli Pierce of Aurora, CO who is a customer service representative at Silk Trade, a UK based software company.  Eli is the father of four children, including one who is a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy and epilepsy.   Eli, and his wife, Cassidy, have been married for 5 years and he is the proud father of four children: Evelyn (14), Elias (11), adopted daughter Annab...

Michael our guest this week is Michael Pereira of Miami, FL who a financial representative, the father of two and founder of the The Autism Voyage.  Michael and his wife, Elizeth, have been married for 9 years and you are the proud parents of two children: Amanda Sophia (3) and Christian Omar (7) who is Autistic.   Michael is also the founder of Autism Voyage, offering financial planning assistanc...

Our guest this week is Jason Bechtold of Cary, IL. a director of IT services and an executive coach at Bain as well as the father of three who have a variety of neurological, psychological and intellectual challenges. Jason and his wife, Lori Hermann, have been married for 8 years and he is the proud father of three children: Jordyn (24), Tyler (20), and Jessica (18), who between them have experie...

Our guest this week is Jen Lumanlan of Berkeley, CA wife, mother, researcher, parenting coach, author, curator of the Your Parenting Mojo website and host of the Your Parenting Mojo Podcast.   Jen and her husband, Alvin, have been married for 15 years and are the proud parents of daughter, Carys, who is 10 years old. Jen was born and raised in England.  She has a bachelors degree: English & Fo...

Our guest this week is Rady Johnson of Westport, CT, a recently retired senior executive at Pfizer and a father of three including one with intellectual disabilities. Rady and his wife, Diane, have been married for 38 years and are the proud parents of three children: Katherine (36), Bridget (30) and Michael (34) who was adopted from Romania as a one year old and who has intellectual disabilities....

Our guest this week is Kirby Rabalais of Glenview, IL the Director of Strategic Growth at Truce Software, father of two including one with Pitt Hopkins Syndrome and more recently the founder of 4TITUDE an online community created to support dads raising children with special healthcare needs.     Kirby and his wife, Chelsea, have been married for 8 years and are the proud parents of two boys: Port...

Our guest this week is Tim Kane of Ridgewood, NJ a former Senior Director of Broadcasting for the NBA, board member at the Epic School Foundation and father of three children including an autistic son.  Tim and his wife, Laurie, have been married for 28 years and are the proud parents of three children: Katie (27), Caroline (21) and Jack (24) who is Autistic.  Tim reflects on his storied career th...

Our guest this week is Sebastien Pelletier of Montreal, Canada a financial professional and father of four, three of whom were diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa.  The Pelletier family was also featured in the National Geographic documentary BLINK. Sebastien and his wife, Edith Lemay, have been married for 14 years and are the proud parents of four children: Mia (13), Leo (11), Colin (9) and Laur...

Our guest this week is James Burch, of Georgetown, Grand Cayman, who is a corporate law partner at Walkers, amateur boxer and single father of three young boys, including one with global developmental delays. James was born and raised in Chelton, England.  After obtaining his education and becoming a lawyer he has worked overseas in Hong Kong and Grand Cayman.  James and his x-wife, Gemma, were ma...

Our guest this week is Isaac Jean Paul of Los Angeles, CA. who is a father and U.S. Paralympic track and field champion who just happens to be legally blind. Isaac and his significant other, Myra Harris, are the proud parents of two year old daughter Shylah.  Isaac was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago.  In high school he was a track & field star.  As he began to lose his sight he didn...

Our guest this week is Alfred Niwagaba, of Kampala, Uganda who is the director of the Little Angels School in Wakiso and father of four children including a son with Down Syndrome.   Alfred and his wife, Rosemary Nambooze, have been married for 16 years and are the proud parents of four children: Benjamin (5), Beroil (9), Abigale (15) and Abryl (14), who has Down Syndrome and has some hearing defi...

Our guest this week is Jason Tuttle of Atlanta, GA, a former physical education and special education teacher, a stay at home parent and father to two children with multiple physical and cognitive disabilities. Jason and his wife, Jennifer, have been married for 21 years and are the proud parents of two children: Samantha (16) who is non-verbal, epileptic, wheelchair bound and has severe neuro dev...

Our guest this week is Michael McManus of Barrington, IL, Vice President of Captive Resources, co-proprietor of Jigsaw Farms and father of two adult sons, including one with Autism .   Michael and his wife Stacie have been married for 33 years and are the proud parents of two boys:  Matt (30) and Jake (29) who is Autistic.   Jake has benefited from a host of programs, including:  Cure Autism Now (...

Our guest this week is Scott MacGregor of Fishers, IN who is Executive Director of Content and Storytelling at Eli Lilly and Company and father of three including one with Down Syndrome. Scott and his wife, Sara, have been married for 23 years and are the proud parents of three living children: Ainsley (16), Jack (18) and Abby (21) who has Down Syndrome.  Very sadly, their son Owen who had Trisomy...

Our guest this week is Jessica Ronne of Holland, MI, author, speaker, podcast host, founder & executive director of the Lucas Project and perhaps most importantly, wife and the mother of eight, including one with special needs. Jess and her second husband, Ryan, have been married for 14 years and between them are the proud parents of eight children: four from her first marriage: Caleb, Lucas,...

Episode #359 – A Look Back on 2024   Hi I’m David Hirsch, founder of the 21st Century Dads Foundation and Special Fathers Network as well as host of the Special Fathers Network Dad To Dad Podcast.    Happy New Year and welcome to the first episode of 2025.    Tom Couch, the editor and producer of the SFN Dad To Dad Podcast, and I, thought we would do something special and provide a Look Back on 20...

Our guest this week is Emma Livingstone of London, England who is the mother of three typical kids, a self-advocate with Cerebral Palsy and founder & CEO of UP - The Adult Cerebral Palsy Movement.  Emma and her husband, Derrick, have been married for 17 years and are the proud parents of three typical children ages 11-16.  She is the one who has cerebral palsy, which has propelled her to becom...

Our guest this week is Craig Parks of San Diego, CA who is a professional musician, band leader, camp director, author and father of two including one with special healthcare needs. Craig and his wife, Rachel, have been married for 23 years and are the proud parents of two children: Nashaman (10) and Jonah (20) who has multiple issues, including: anxiety, attention issues and Autism. Craig has a r...

Our guest this week is Tieal Bishop, of Walkerton, IN, mother to six including a medical fragile son and founder of A Rosie Place For Children. Tieal and her husband,Travis, have been married for eight years and between them they are the proud parents of six children: Max (25), Sam (22) and Gigi (20) and triplet 21 year old girls, Madeline, Abby and Kate.    Her oldest son, Max, had a precarious e...

Our guest this week is Phillip Koontz of Monument, CO a retired U.S. Navy Seal, combat veteran, a former pastor, co-founder of Buffalo Leadership Academy, owner of an e-commerce business, author and perhaps most importantly, the father to five children. Phillip and his third wife, Suzanna, have been married for 6 1/2 years and between them are the proud parents of five children. Phillip served for...

Our guest this week is Dennis Watkins of Oak Park, IL who is a professional magician and father of two adopted children, including a son who is Autistic.  Dennis and his husband, Sean Kelly, have been married for seven years and are the proud parents of two adopted children: Magnolia (15 months) and Henry (5), who is Autistic.   Dennis hails from Dallas and a long line of family magicians.  His gr...

Our guest this week is Tom Parro of Grayslake, IL, president of MERK Capital and father of three including a daughter with a rare disease.   Tom and his wife, Janice, have been married for 27 years and are the proud parents of three children: Erin (24), Matthew (20) and Megan (22) who has Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) a condition that causes a number of symptoms when you transit...

Our guest this week is Todd Evans of Brentwood, TN who is a business owner, author and father of two children with disability.   Todd and his wife, Kristin, have been married for 23 years and are the proud parents of two children: an 18 year old who was born with a metabolic disorder and 14 year old who has Cri du chat syndrome is a genetic disorder caused by a deletion of the short arm of chromos...