Special Fathers' Network Podcast

In April 2024, our host David Hirsch traveled to Cuba with Joni & Friends, as one of 12 U.S. volunteers participating in a Wheels For The World Program, to fit and distribute 200+ wheelchairs to youth and adults, who might not otherwise experience mobility.  During his visit, he recorded two interviews with individuals connected to the disability community in Cuba. This is the the second of the two interviews.Toady's guest is Noel Fernandez Collott of Ciego de Avila, Cuba an 82 year old retired Baptist pastor who led seven churches during his career, who is one of the country's most well respected disability advocates and himself, went blind at age 30.Noel and his wife, Ornara, have been married for 58 years.  We also learn about how Retinitis Pigmentosa took his dad and grandfather's sight as well.Thirty years ago, Noel was the initial point of contact with Joni & Friends, the Agoura Hills, CA global Chrsitian disability ministry.  Since then there have been J&F Family Retreats and Wheels for the

This is part of a special series of interviews within the SFN Dad To Dad Podcasts to be known as the SFN Mastermind Group Monday Podcasts.  Each Monday host David Hirsch interviews one of the SFN Mastermind Group dads on the impact the mastermind group has had on him and the wellbeing of his family.  This Monday’s guest is Jon Heckert of Madisonville, LA who is a vice president of human resources at K.L. Breeden & Sons, LLC a privately held, family-owned and operated, trucking & transportation company.  Jon is also father of a son with disabilities and a volunteer with Ainsley’s Angels. Jon and his wife, Doris, have been married for 18 years and are the proud parents of Jackson (17) who was diagnosed invitro with Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita (AMC) a rare disease that causes permanent tightening of the baby’s muscles, skin and tendons that make their joints short and stiff. Arthrogryposis means crooking (bending) of the joint. “Artho” means joint, and “gryposis” means crooking.Jon has been part o

English Version - In April 2024, our host David Hirsch traveled to Cuba with Joni and Friends, as one of 12 U.S. volunteers participating in a Wheels For The World Program, to fit and distribute 200+ wheelchairs to youth and adults, who might not otherwise experience mobility.   This week's guest is Leonardo Cespedes of Bayamo, Cuba, a Baptist Preacher and father of two including a son with intellectual and physical disabilities.  Leonardo and his wife, Mairelis, have been married for 26 years and are the proud parents of two; daughter Reveca (23) who is a teacher, and son Marko (20) who has undiagnosed intellectual disabilities, suffers from seizures and is hard of hearing.   Marko was one of the recipients of a wheelchair. During his visit, David spoke with and recorded interviews with two Cubans connected to the disability community in Cuba.  Special thanks to Dairy Hernandez, the young Cuban woman that served as one of David's translators during the week and for her help translating today's episode in Eng

This is the fourth in a special series of interviews within the SFN Dad To Dad Podcasts to be known as the SFN Mastermind Group Monday Podcasts.  Each Monday host David Hirsch will interview one of the SFN Mastermind Group dads on the impact the mastermind group has had on him and the wellbeing of his family.  This Monday’s guest is John Shouse of Nashville, TN who works as an Industrial Control Sales Engineer at Link Systems and is father of three children including twins and more recently has became a grandfather. John and his wife, Janet, have been married for 40 years and are the proud parents of three children; Emma (35) and 28 year old twins Brendan and Evan, who is Autistic.John has been part of the Tuesday night SFN Mastermind Group, has attended the annual weekend SFN Mastermind Group Retreats and was featured in episode #52 of the SFN Dad To Dad Podcast in April of 2019.  John and Janet have been outspoken advocates for disability locally and nationally. Show Notes -Phone –  (615) 476-7472Email – jm

Leading into Father's Day weekend, this week’s guest is Paul Briggs of Falling Waters, WV, who works in the technology industry and is father to 38 children, including six biological and 32 adopted children. Paul and his wife, Jeanne, have been married for 48 years and are the proud parents to 38 children ranging in age from 8-44.  Six are biological and 32 are adopted from five countries, including; 13 from Ghana, 10 from Ukraine, six from Russia, two from Bulgaria, and one from Mexico.  They also have 23 grandchildren ranging in age from 1-19 years old.  Paul reflects on his upbringing, those who influenced him growing up, his spirituality, and the steps that lead to opening their home and hearts to this extraordinary family.  Paul also provides insights on how such a large family handles; meals, doing laundry, transportation, education as well as thier entry into the world of adoption and special needs, which started with the first adoption of Abraham (from Mexico) who is blind.  Favorite quote from this i

This is the third in a special series of interviews within the SFN Dad To Dad Podcasts to be known as the SFN Mastermind Group Monday Podcasts.  Each Monday host David Hirsch will interview one of the SFN Mastermind Group dads on the impact the mastermind group has had on him and the wellbeing of his family.  This Monday’s guest is Jeff Johnson of Anderson, SC who works as a meat cutter at Publix Supermarkets and father of two boys, including one with profound disability.Jeff and his wife, Michelle, have been married for 40 years and are the proud parents of two adult children; Michael (29) and Daniel (26) who has Hydrocephalus and Encephalocele is non-verbal, non-ambulatory and ventilator dependent. Jeff has been part of the Wednesday night SFN Mastermind Group, has attended the annual weekend SFN Mastermind Group Retreats and was featured in episode #155 of the SFN Dad To Dad Podcast in June of 2021.Show Notes -Phone – 864-444-8170 Email – jj841916@gmail.comSFN Dad To Dad Podcast – https://21stcenturydads.o

Today's guest is Jordan Jankus of Wallingford, VT who is a disability advocate, founder of Plastic Learning, a freelance writer and perhaps most importantly, father of two including an adult daughter with Cerebral Palsy.  Jordan and his wife, Cathy, have been married for 49 years and are the proud parents to two children: Justin (35) and Jessie (45) who has multiple developmental disabilities including Cerebral Palsy. Jordan is a freelance writer and disability advocate, serving in various roles, as a vocational coach, case-manager, advocate and personal technology specialist. Jordan is also founder of Plastic Learning, which was created to promote lifelong learning opportunities for people with cognitive disabilities.Jordan is also a more recent member of the SFN Dad To Dad Mastermind Group community.  It’s a fascinating conversation that we’ll hear on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Notes - Email - jordan.jankus@gmail.comLinkedIn -  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-jankus-a4215328/Website

This is the second in a special series of interviews within the SFN Dad To Dad Podcasts to be known as the SFN Mastermind Group Monday Podcasts.  Each Monday host David Hirsch will interview one of the SFN Mastermind Group dads on the impact the mastermind group has had on him and the wellbeing of his family.  This Monday’s guest is Matthew Rehbein of Nashville, TN an Executive Director for Institutional Research and Analytics at Lipscomb University and father of two children.   Matt and his wife, Waleska, have been married for 18 years and are the proud parents of two children; daughter Sabina (9) and son Benja (12) who has Autism, ADHD and epilepsy.   Matt has been part of the Tuesday night SFN Mastermind Group and attended the annual weekend SFN Mastermind Group Retreat, the past couple of years. Show Notes -Phone – 615-767-9218Email – matthewrehbein@gmail.comLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-rehbein-7832085/Matt’s Favorite Book Reviewed As Part Of The Mastermind Group – One More Step: My Story o

This week’s guest is Jon Ghahate of Placitas, NM a Native American and a member of the Pueblos of Laguna and Zuni and of the Badger and Turkey clans.  Jon is a Vietnam-era veteran, a former educator, healthcare practitioner, journalist and father of three, including one who is blind. While in the U.S. Army Jon served as a physician's assistant.  He went on to be a public middle school and high school math and science educator as well as athletic coach for the public school system.He has also been a journalist for a national radio talk program and more recently an educator at the Crow Canyon Archeological Center in Colorado where he works with students and patrons to develop accurate, credible, and respectful narratives of Southwest cultures.Jon has a lot to say about being a Native American and is a wealth of knowledge about Native American culture. That's all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad podcast.Show Notes -Email - badger_pro@msn.comLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-ghahate-13a5a2250/Websit

This is the first in a special series of interviews within the SFN Dad To Dad Podcasts to be known as the SFN Mastermind Group Monday Podcasts.  Each Monday host David Hirsch will interview one of the SFN Mastermind Group dads on the impact the mastermind group has had on him and the wellbeing of his family.  This Monday’s guest is Rich Gathro of Largo, FL a retired career educator and father of two adult children.   Rich and his wife, Kathy, have been married for 46 years and are the proud parents of two adopted adult children; daughter Kate who had a brain tumor at age 10 and stroke at 21, and son Will, who was born with Schizencephaly, a rare disease.  For further background about the Gathro family journey, please listen to Rich’s SFN Dad To Dad Podcast, episode #54, which originally aired in April 2019.  See link below.Show Notes - Email - rgathro@gmail.com LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-gathro-515556/ Rich’s SFN Dad To Dad Podcast #54 - https://21stcenturydads.org/dad-to-dad-54-rich-gathr

Our guest this week is United States Air Force retired Major General John Borling of Rockford, IL, a father, grandfather, author and founder of Service Over Self (S.O.S.) America, a non-profit dedicated to promoting the values of; freedom, responsibility, liberty and duty.John and his wife, Myrna, both Rockford, IL natives, have been married for 61 years and are the proud parents of two daughters and two grandchildren. John served in the United States Air Force for 37 years and retired as a Major General in 1994.  He was a fighter pilot who flew 97 combat missions in Vietnam, before being shot down, captured by the North Vietnamese, and held as a POW in the infamous Hanoi Hiton for 6 1/2 years.   His many awards include: a Silver Star, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, three Bronze Stars with V for Valor, and two Purple Hearts among a host of other accolades.   John is author of the book:Taps On The Walls: Poems From The Hanoi HIlton.  The book includes a collection of stories and poems John shared with his f

Our guest this week is Marc Moschetto of Holly Springs, NC who is CEO of Kick Motor, host of The Rational Workforce Podcast, a neurodiversity advocate and father of three.Marc and his wife, Kate, have been married for 27 years and are the proud parents of three children: Jacob (24), Grace (21) and Samuel (15), who collectively have experienced a variety of challenges including ASD, anxiety, depression and food aversion to name a few.Marc enjoys interviewing guests on his The Rational Workforce Podcast on a wide range of business related topics dedicated to looking at the news, people, policies, and programs that are shaping today’s world of work in a way that strips away the jargon and pushes back on political correctness.Marc is also an outspoken neurodiversity advocate and supporter of Beme.ai a web-based platform that empowers Autistic individuals, their families, and care teams with the tools they need to thrive.It's a uplifting story about a father's commitment to his faith, family and serving the broade

Our guest this week is Gary Rabine of Naples, FL (formerly of Bull Valley, IL), a serial entrepreneur, a patriot, host of the Ditch Digger CEO podcast and father of four, including a son with cerebral palsy. Gary and his late wife Cheryl were married for 35 years and are the proud parents to four children including: Austin (36), Janelle (34), Jordan (33), and Nick, 23, who was adopted from Russia and has Cerebral Palsy.Gary has founded more than 30 businesses, which collectively have generated over $1B in sales.  The most prominent of the businesses is Rabine Paving, a nationally recognized business that caters to residential and commercial customers, including Fortune 500 companies and municipalities across the country. Gary is also the host of the Ditch Digger CEO Podcast, with more than 100 episodes featuring some of the country's most prominent CEOs and business owners.  Gary is also a strong supporter of the Job Creators Network based in Boca Raton, FL.  He is also very proud of the Cheryl Rabine Foundat

Our guest this week is Dr. Greg Pursley of Jackson, MO who is a chiropractor, owner of PC Medical Centers, father of two and author of two books.Greg and his wife, Sheree, have been married for 19 years and are the proud parents of two children: daughter, Eveekay(18) and son, Izaac(16), who has dwarfism.We’ll hear about the many organizations that have played an influential role in the Pursley family, including:Make A Wish FoundationChallenged Athlete FoundationLittle People of America      Dwarf Athletes Association of America, and      Ronald McDonald HouseDr. G also reflects on the two books he's written:A New Kind Of NormalFix Your BS (Belief System)That’s all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Links - Email - drgregpursley@gmail.comWebsite – https://www.fixyourbs.com/homeWebsite - https://drgregpursley.com/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/drgregpursley1/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/drgregpursley/Make A Wish Foundation - https://wish.org/Challenged Athlete Foundation - https

Our guest this week is Allan Turner of Mansfield, TX proprietor of Turner Insurance Group and father of three including one with Down Syndrome.Allan and his wife, Ebony, have been married for 23 years and are the proud parents of three children: Anaiah (19), Jael (17) and Isaiah (10), who has Downs Syndrome.Allan owns an insurance brokerage agency, which is how he supports his family.  Not satisfied with the level of life and health insurance available to families touched by disability, Allan has been an outspoken advocate to create new products that meet the unmet needs of families impacted by disability. Allan also reflects on some of the organizations that have played an important role in his family, including; the Black Down Syndrome Association, the Down Syndrome Partnership of North Texas, Kinder Frogs at TCU and Special Olympics.It’s an inspiring conversation on this episode of the SFN Dad To Dad Podcast.Show LinksEmail - aturner@turnerinsgroup.netWebsite – https://www.turnerinsurancegroup.net/LinkedIn

Our guest this week is Gabe Perna of Newtown, CT who is an award winning journalist, a digital health editor with Modern Healthcare and father of two young boys, including one with Autism. Gabe and his wife, Amanda, have been married for 10 years and are the proud parents of two children: Logan (3) and Spencer (6) who has Autism. We learn about the Perna family story, the the changes and adaptations the family has made and the importance of embracing your child for who they are so you can help them reach their full potential.That's all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Links:Email - gabriel.perna1@gmail.comWebsite – https://www.modernhealthcare.com/author/gabriel-pernaLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriel-perna-b41b114/Families United Newtown – https://familiesunitedinnewtown.org/Ever Wonder Children's Museum Newtown - https://www.everwondermuseum.orgTwitter: GabrielSPernaSpecial Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs.

Our guest this week is Jonathan Bennett of Ontario, Canada, an executive and leadership coach, a poet and author of seven books and father of two. Jonathan and his wife, Wendy, have been married for 25 years and are the proud parents of two children who are 17 and 19 years old.We’ll hear some sage advice from Jonathan about raising an Autistic child who is also non-binary. That’s all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Notes - Email - jonathan@clearlythen.comWebsite – https://clearlythen.com/LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bennettjonathan/Novels and books of poetry - https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B001K8O160?ingress=0&visitId=4732666f-192a-47e6-ad0a-05a2610979e8&ref_=ap_rdrSpecial Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 500+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated.

To celebrate the 300th episode of the SFN Dad To Dad Podcast, David Hirsch, founder of 21st Century Dads Foundation and host of the SFN Dad To Dad Podcast offers his heartfelt thanks to all those who have been involved with and supported 21CD & SFN.  He reflects on:addressing the issue of father absence in society,his journey as a fatherhood advocate,starting the Illinois Fatherhood Initiative, making an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show, starting the 21st Century Dads Foundation, Dads Honor Ride 2015 from Santa Monica to Chicago, 2,325 miles in 21 days, giving a TEDx Talk entitled: Why We Need To Break The Cycle Of Father Absence, writing the book: A Father's Journey To Break The Cycle Of Father Absence, Dads Honor Ride 2016 from Boston to Chicago, 1,400 miles in 21 days, Creating the C2EFA (Cycle To End Father Absence) indoor riding events, Dads Honor Ride 2017 Around Lake Michigan, 958 miles in 9 days, creating the Special Fathers Network Mentoring Program, starting the SFN Dad To Dad Podcast, recor

Our guest this week is Steve Thomas of Manhattan, IL father of eight, serial entrepreneur and author of Catholic Joe Superhero.  Steve and his wife, Ginny, have been married for 33 years and are the proud parents of eight children: Steve (32), 30 year old twins David & John, Joseph (28), Francis (26), Mary (25), Grace (23) and Gabriel (21).  The twins are the ones with additional needs.        The twins were diagnosed in their 20s with issues including; anxiety, Autism, OCD and schizophrenia.  Despite the many challenges including incarceration and institutionalization, Steve and Ginny have found strength in their faith, family and marriage.   In 2023 Steve published Catholic Joe Superhero a riveting tale about Joseph Salvatore, the father of eight and retired Lieutenant General who endeavors to save his brother Vinnie’s marriage, while inadvertently getting immersed in many thorny issues, including: abortion, alcohol abuse, espionage, graft, mental illness and school book banning.  Steve was also one of

Our guest this week is Keith Harris of Albuquerque, NM, an entrepreneur and father of four including one who has Down Syndrome.  Keith and his wife, Jeannie, have been married for 44 years and are the proud parents of four: Daniel (39), Tim (38), Thomas (35) and John (33).  Tim is the one with Down Syndrome.Tim's got a big heart which he opens to virtually everyone he meets.  And he's a busy guy.  They opened and ran Tim's Place Restaurant for five years, where 'hugs' were listed on the menu, which Tim would deliver as requested. Tim also wrote a children's book entitled:The Book of Hugs, which came out in 2021.  Jeanne & Keith also created the Tim’s Big Heart Foundation with the mission of healing of trauma of those who made a career choice to serve, including those in the military and first responders.There’s was an awful lot to cover so we’re presenting this interview in two segments, this week is part two the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast interview of Keith Harris.Show Notes - Email – muchogusto.keith@gmail.