Embrace the Blessing

ETB 58: What if the future of your loved one with a disability could be bright, secure, and filled with choices and alternatives? Envision a world where guardianship isn't the only path, where supported decision-making reigns supreme, and personal rights are preserved. This episode offers a detailed dissection of guardianship and its alternatives, shedding light on the game-changing Right to...

ETB 57: When your child is hospitalized, what means of comfort do you find? As a mother who's been down this road with my son Josiah, I will share how the power of pen helped me through those dark times. Transcribing our story and drawing strength from those lines, I found a way to navigate the painfully frequent hospitalizations. The silver lining we discovered in this storm cloud was the ro...

ETB 56: Ready to journey into the heartwarming world of Carlee Ragains, a creative spirit, mother, wife, and mimi?  Carlee's story weaves a rich tapestry of love, courage, and perseverance, as she shares the joys, challenges, and unimaginable fulfillment that come from parenting her 16-year-old daughter, Ellen, who was born with Down syndrome. Carlee paints a vibrant portrait of Ellen, a high...

ETB 55: Prepare to be deeply moved by the remarkable journey of Josephine Sullivan, founder and CEO of the Christina Sullivan Foundation. This episode offers a powerful narrative of love, faith, and unwavering commitment as Josephine shares the story of her daughter Christina, a vibrant soul who was born with severe brain injury, cerebral palsy, and a seizure disorder. Listen as she chronicles how...

ETB 54: What does it really mean to be a parent of a child with autism? How do you navigate the challenges and celebrate the milestones? Join us on a deeply personal journey with Heather, a resilient mother who opens her heart about her experiences raising her son, Chase, who was diagnosed with autism at a tender age of 2.5 years. Currently a stay-at-home mom who transitioned to homeschooling Chas...

ETB 53: What if you could turn the toughest moments of parenting a child with a disability into a source of strength and inspiration? Join me, Sandy Deppisch, as I take you on a roller coaster ride of emotions in the hospital stays that have become an all too frequent part of our lives. You'll learn how to communicate your needs effectively to your support network, and understand the importan...

ETB 52:  Have you ever wondered what it takes to raise a child with Down syndrome? Embark on an intimate journey with Susan Aguilar, a mother who shares the honest truth about the joys and challenges she's encountered while raising her son, Adrian. From the ease of his younger years to the hurdles of his adulthood, she paints a vivid picture of their undying resilience. We unravel the secrets...

ETB 51: Have you ever pondered over the therapeutic power of writing in dealing with overpowering emotions? Join me, Sandy Deppish, on this personal journey as I revisit an old blog post titled 'It's Not About Me.' You'll discover how documenting the highs and lows of raising a child with a disability has helped me process my feelings and paved the path for resilience and hope....

ETB 50: Ever tried to trim a child's toenails? Now imagine that child has sensory issues that make the task as perilous and nerve-wracking as a high-wire act. Join me, Sandy Deppisch in this candid discussion on Embrace the Blessing podcast, where we navigate the choppy waters of personal grooming for children with disabilities, specifically, trimming toenails. We share my personal struggle w...

ETB 49: I'm thrilled to introduce you to Darcy, a devoted parent and former teacher who's turned her personal journey into a mission to unlock the potential in children with Down syndrome. Imagine the heartache of knowing your child has thoughts, ideas, dreams locked away in their mind - simply because they struggle to communicate. Darcy, all too familiar with this struggle, has dedicate...

ETB 48: Have you heard about the positive impact of creating a personal network to support you as you care for your loved one with a disability?  Our guest, Jennifer Vincent, brings her experience as a parent and network facilitator to help answer this crucial question. Jennifer shares the importance of personal networks in empowering families and individuals with disabilities. She introduces us t...

ETB 47: Ever thought of how daunting the prospect of going on a vacation with special needs children might be? Imagine being a single parent to two wonderful boys on the autism spectrum and deciding to embark on a solo trip. That's exactly what my guest, Mary Ann Hughes, courageously did. Mary Ann's incredible journey of managing a cruise vacation with her sons is filled with insightful...

ETB 45: This is Part 2 of a 2 part interview. In this episode I talk with Victoria De La Garza and her mother Jennifer Gongora about their business, VK Girl Creations.  Victoria started in her High School Life Skills class learning to knit beanie hats on a round knitting loom.  She held her first pop up market at age 18, selling beanies to her fellow classmates.  Now, at age 24, Victoria's ho...

ETB 44:  In this episode I talk with Victoria De La Garza and her mother Jennifer Gongora about their business, VK Girl Creations.  Victoria started in her High School Life Skills class learning to knit beanie hats on a round knitting loom.  She held her first pop up market at age 18, selling beanies to her fellow classmates.  Now, at age 24, Victoria's hobby has blossomed into a growing busi...

ETB 43:  If you have a child with a disability who likes to disrobe at night, I have just the thing for you!  For years we would wake in the wee hours of the morning to find our son undressed and sometimes enjoying finger paining fun with the contents of his full pull up!  When we discovered THIS product, it was a game changer!  I have 8 of these in larger sizes looking for a good home.  Reach out...

ETB 42:  In this episode I talk with Kathryn Kane-Neilson about her 19 year old son, Clark who has Down syndrome.   She talks about her experiences raising Clark, through life in NYC, through divorce, through medical misadventures and fresh beginnings in Texas. Kathryn shared,  " At 22 years old, I was aware of the fact that I was carrying a child with Down syndrome and it absolutely changed...

ETB 41- In this episode I talk with Beverly Parrish about her daughter Hannah, age 28, who has Down syndrome.   Beverly and her husband Chris learned that Hannah had Down syndrome in utero.   Feeling a bit overwhelmed at their lack of knowledge about Trisomy 21 they began to research, trusting that God had his perfect plan in place. Beverly is a mother of 7 with 9 grandchildren and has been marrie...

ETB 40 - In this episode I talk with Gerrie Bourque, mother of 3 whose 26 year old son Tyler has a dual diagnosis of Down syndrome and autism, is medically complex and has rare disorders.  Gerrie shares the various caregiving options they have explored over the years.  Tyler has a Texas Medicaid Waiver which provides services for him including a support staff to care for him as needed.  Initially,...

ETB 39 -  In this episode I talk with Mary Ann Hughes, mother of 2 young adults with Autism about finding quality care for loved ones with special needs.  As a single mother managing her company, Special Family Transitions, Mary Ann has had to stretch her comfort zone most recently when she sent both of her boys for the very first time to a week long summer camp. Mary Ann believes as special needs...

ETB 38: In this episode I share a few stories about Josiah from the past few years when he was walking through a very long, very difficult season.  With so many challenges including aggression, destruction and self-injurious behaviors it was easy at times to lose sight of hope. As a mom desperately trying to figure out how to best help my child,  it was heartbreaking to watch him struggle so much....

ETB 37 - In this episode I talk with Fredia Bassham, grandmother of Heather Jo, age 26.  Freida and her husband Joe have been caring for their granddaughter who has cerebral palsy, a seizure disorder and is non-verbal, for 22 years.  Heather Jo recently won Texas Miss Amazing, the Miss Division.  The Texas Miss Amazing pageant celebrates the abilities of girls and women across TEXAS with disabilit...

ETB 36 - In this episode I talk with Mike Lutey, owner of Special Strong - South East Houston. Special Strong provides science-based adaptive and inclusive fitness programs for children, adolescents, and adults with mental, physical and cognitive challenges. Mike believes giving up his corporate job to become the very first franchise in Special Strong's history, is his calling.  The franchise...

ETB 35 - In this episode I talk with Timothy Glover, corporate trainer by day and real life superhero, Dash Gordon by night.   Initially created to raise some extra money for a vacation, Tim started having fun with the whole Dash idea and began texting people that he was Dash Gordon.  Eventually he decided to add a costume before heading out to do deliveries and the rest is history. Dash has a hea...

ETB 34:  In this episode I talk with Beth Haas, teacher and mother of 3 beautiful daughters about her oldest daughter, Annalee who has Down syndrome.   During the 18th week of Beth's first pregnancy, she and her husband John were told their unborn baby had hypoplastic left heart syndrome and was probably not going to be compatible with life.   Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a birth...