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247 – Jeff Seitzer of Chicago, An Author & Father of 2 Including a Son With Special Healthcare Needs Who Tragically Passed At 9

Our guest this week is Jeff Seitzer of Chicago, IL. Jeff and his wife, Janet, have been married for 33 years and are the proud parents of two children; Penelope (16) and Ethan, who had many special healthcare needs and who tragically passed away in a drowning accident, at age nine in 2010. Jeff earned a Ph.D in political science from the University of Chicago. He has over a quarter century of teaching experience in the Chicago area. He is currently, the secretary of the adjunct faculty union at Roosevelt University where he is a highly qualified organizer, manager, and

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246 – Paul Peterangelo of Tonowanda, NY, Father of Five Daughters Including One With Down Syndrome

Our guest this week is Paul Peterangelo of Tonowanda, NY, who is clinical supervisor at Fidelis Care, Director of Worship Band Psalm 151 at Saint Amelia RC Church, and father of five girls including one with Down Syndrome. Paul and his wife, Renee, have been married for 29 years and are the proud parents of five daughters; Sonia (37), Emilia (36), DeAnna (28), Amanda (26) who has Down Syndrome and Tabitha (21). We’ll hear Paul’s story which includes: his role as a nurse practitioner, including 15 years in the ER on the night shift, the ups and downs of raising

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245 – Marsh Naidoo of Dyersburg, TN, A Physical Therapist, Author, Podcast Host & Mother To A Son With Cerebral Palsy

Our guest this week is Marsh Naidoo of Dyersburg, TN is a physical therapist who was born and raised in Durban, South Africa during Apartheid. Marsh and her husband, Prakash, are the proud parents to son Kellan, who has Cerebral Palsy. Marsh is the host of the popular Raising Kellan Podcast and author of the book “What I Wish I Knew Back Then.” We’ll hear this intriguing conversation between Marsh and our host David Hirsch on this episode ot the Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. Show Links –Email – raisingkellan@gmail.comWebsite – https://www.raisingkellan.org/LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/marsh-naidoo-pt/Healing Horses – https://equinetherapyregistry.org/index.phpTri My Best Triathlon – https://give.vanderbilthealth.org/event/tri-my-best-triathlon-brentwood/e275146The Book:

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244 – Joel Liestman of Maple Grove, MN A Professional Actor Reflects On Raising a Son With William Syndrome

Our guest this week is Joel Liestman of Maple Grove, MN who has been a professional actor for more than 25 years, a father to a son with William Syndrome and outspoken advocate for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Joel and wife, Jennifer, have been married for 23 years and are the proud parents of Bennett (11) who has Williams Syndrome, a genetic condition present at birth and is characterized by medical problems, including cardiovascular disease, developmental delays, and learning challenges. Joel reflects on the importance of organizations like Parent 2 Parent and the William Syndrome Association have played

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243 – Christian Paddock of Seattle, WA Reflects On The Loss Of His Daughter Who Had STXBP1, A Rare Neurological Disease

Our guest this week is Christian Paddock of Seattle, WA who is a coporate trainer for Audi of America. Christian and his wife, Megan, have been married for 10 years and are the proud parents of two girls, Addison (5) and Hazel, who was diagnosed with STXBP1, a rare neurological disease. Very sadly Hazel passed away at age six in 2021, as the result of a random accident. Christian reflects on the six year odyssey of raising a child with a complex medical condition, the highs as well as lows, and the tragic loss of their beautiful daughter. We’ll hear

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242 – Dr. Cole Galloway of Cleveland, OH Father of Three & Creator Of Go Baby Go, A Human Rights Movement Promoting Mobility

Our guest this week is Dr. Cole Galloway of Clevelend, OH who for more than two decades, was a professor of physical therapy at University of Delaware and is founder of Go Baby Go, a human rights movement dedicated to promoting mobility and social mobility. While doing research, he developed a small car that young children, with special needs, could control themselves thereby opening a whole new world of possibilities. That discovery lead to the creation of Go Baby Go, which has forever transformed the lives and trajectories of tens of thousands of children across the U.S. and beyond. Go

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241 – Corey Ferguson of Gahanna, OH, Father of 3 All With Special Needs & Mgr at OH Dept. of Developmental Disabilities

Our guest this week is Corey Ferguson of Gahanna, OH who is a State-Wide Manager with the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities and the father of three children with a wide range of special abilities. Corey and his wife, Andrea, have been married for 15 years and are the proud parents of three children: Linleigh (12) who is a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy, Brody (9) who has dyslexia, and Everly (8), who has bi-lateral hearing loss. Corey has a real passion for being a dad and the work he does serving other families raising children with special needs. We’ll

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240 – Ron Sandison of Rochester Hills, MI, An Autistic Man, Father, Author & Founder Of Spectrum Inclusion

Our guest this week is Ron Sandison of Rochester Hills, MI who is an Autistic man, a psychiatric care specialist at UHS Havenwyck Hospital, a professor at the Divinity School of Ministry, a speaker, an author of several books, and founder of Spectrum Inclusion, which empowers young adults with Autism for independence and employment through mentoring and conferences. Ron and his wife, Kristen, have been married for 10 years and are the proud parents of Mikayla (6). Ron’s books include: A Parent’s Guide to Autism: Practical Advice. Biblical Wisdom. Views from the Spectrum: A Window into Life and Faith with

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239 – Chris Brewster of Waverly, NY Fatherhood Coordinator at Parent2Parent & Father of 3, Including a Son with Angelman Syndrome

Our guest this week is Christopher Brewster of Waverly NY. Chris and his wife, Kristen, have been married for six years and are the proud parents of three children: son Bowie (15) who has Angelman Syndrome, daughter Ada (17), and son Seth (26) who has Scleroderma, Short leg syndrome, Autism and more recently is undergoing gender transition. From a professional perspective, Chris is a Community Engagement Manager for the Food Bank of the Southern Tier (Elmira & Corning area). He also works part-time as the Fatherhood Coordinator for Parent to Parent of New York State, connecting fathers of children with

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238 – Ian Todd of Baltimore, MD Father of Two Including Rosie Who Was Injured As A Result Of Spinal Meningitis

Our guest this week is Ian Todd, of Baltimore, MD, who is a financial services specialist. Ian and his wife, Erin, are the proud parents to two daughters, Maple (6) and Rosie (4), who was injured shortly after birth as the result of Bacterial Meningitis and has cortical visual impairment among other conditions. Ian is also a member of the first Special Fathers Network Mastermind Group that meets weekly on Wednesday evenings. He credits his faith and involvement with SFN and the SFN Mastermind Group with helping him put his challenges into perspective and be the husband, father and human

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237 – Matt Bando of Downers Grove, IL is a Father of Son Who is a Spastic Quadriplegic With Cerebral Palsy

Our guest this week is Matt Bando, owner of Prodigy Printing and Promotions in Downers Grove, IL. Matt and his wife, Saba, have been married for 27 years and are the proud parents of Zain (23) who is a spastic quadriplegic with Cerebral Palsy. Zain is a graduate of University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and is masters degree student at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and has participated in the Diveheart.org adaptive scuba diving program. Matt is also part of the SFN Mastermind Group that meets weekly on Tuesday nights. We’ll hear Matt’s story and more

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236 – Dr. Temple Grandin of Ft. Collins, CO An Autistic Person, Innovator, Author & Advocate for the Neurodivergent

Out special guest this week is Dr. Temple Grandin of Ft. Collins, CO, a national speaker, a best-selling author, a professor of animal science at Colorado State University, and outspoken advocate for the neurodivergent and those on the Autism Spectrum. Temple was an Ashoka Fellow. She was also named in the Time 100 List as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in the ‘Heroes’ category. She also has a number of honorary degrees form universities around the world, including; McGill University in Canada, the Swedish University of Agricultural Science, Carnegie Mellon University and Emory University. Temple

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235 – David Geslak of La Grange, IL, Father of Two & Founder of Exercise Connection Serving People With Autism

Our guest this week is David Geslak, a national speaker, author and founder of Exercise Connection, a company committed to assist individuals with Autism and other disabilities; improve their focus, reduce maladaptive behaviors, enhance social skills as well as language development through proper exercise and physical fitness. David and his wife, Jessica, have been married for nine years and are the proud parents of two children: Andrew (5) and Jordan (2), who was diagnosed with cyanotic breadth holding spells. Through his education and work as a Certified Exercise Physiologist, as well as research, David has created tools and a process

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234 – Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield of Fayetteville, AR, A Licensed Psychologist, Speaker, Author & The Dad Whisperer

This is the second installment of the SFN Dad To Dad Podcast interview with Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield, PhD, LPC, a nationally known speaker, author, licensed professional counselor of 28 years and founder of The Abba Project, a program serving dads and daughters. She writes regularly for professional journals and magazines. She is also the author of books: Dad Here’s What I Really Need from You, and Let’s Talk: Conversation Starters for Dads and Daughters. Michelle also hosts “The Dad Whisperer” Podcast. Michelle talks openly and authentically about her spirituality, marrying late in life as well as her personal experience with

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233 – Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield of Fayetteville, AR, A Licensed Psychologist, Speaker, Author & The Dad Whisperer

Our guest this week is Dr. Michelle Watson Canfield, PhD, LPC, a nationally known speaker, author, licensed professional counselor of 28 years and founder of The Abba Project, a program serving dads and daughters. She writes regularly for professional journals and magazines. She is also the author of books: Dad Here’s What I Really Need from You, and Let’s Talk: Conversation Starters for Dads and Daughters. Michelle also hosts “The Dad Whisperer” Podcast. Michelle talks openly and authentically about her spirituality, marrying late in life as well as her personal experience with eating disorders and sexual abuse. She brings a high

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232 – David Barth of Sand Point, ID, a Licensed Therapist, Member of Evryman & Co-Founder of Team Autism 24/7

Our guest this week is David Barth of Sand Point, ID who is a licensed therapist. David and his wife, Lisa, have been married for 26 years and are the proud parents of Jackson (23) who has Autism. David is a member Evryman, a benefit corporation whose mission is to connect and help men lead more successful, satisfying and fulfilling lives. David is also co-founder of Team Autism 24/7, a non-profit that builds autism awareness. We’ll hear David’s story on this week’s Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. Show Links: Email – dcbarth69@gmail.com LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/da… Evryman – https://evryman.com Panhandle Special Needs

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231 – Nelson Rascon of Tacoma, WA, Father of Three, a Licensed Realtor and Co-founder & Executive Director of Dads Move

Our guest this week is Nelson Rascon of Tacoma, WA who is the father of three, a realtor and co-founder of Dads Move – Strengthening The Roles Of Dads In Raising Their Kids With Special Needs. Nelson and his wife, JoRay, have been married for 9 years and between them are the proud parents of three children; Samantha (30) who has cognitive delays, Eric (26) who has Autism, severe Epilepsy and who is bi-polar, and Kaleb (26) who has Asperger’s and was more recently diagnosed as bi-polar too. Nelson reflects on his parents divorce, growing up without his dad, moving with

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230 – Bonner Paddock Rinn of Laguna Beach, CA Founder of Project Possible, Ironman Triathlete with CP & NYTs Best Selling Author

Our guest this week is Bonner Paddock Rinn of Laguna Beach, CA, founder of Project Possible, the first person with Cerebral Palsy to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro and to complete the Ironman distance triathlon, a New York Times best selling author of the book One More Mile, founder of Spark – launching poverty fighting ventures that open the door of possibility. He was featured in the documentary film Beyond Limits, narrated by the actor Michael Clarke Duncan (The Green Mile), depicting Bonner’s successful summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. We’ll hear Bonner’s inspiring story on this week’s Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast.

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229 – Brian Altounian & Shawn Francis of Los Angeles, Co-Hosts of the Just Two Dads Podcast Talk About Raising Special Kids

Our guests this week are Brian Altounian and Shawn Francis of Los Angeles, CA. Brian and Shawn are financial advisors who created the Just Two Dads Podcast to help fathers raising kids with special healthcare needs. Every Wednesday at 11am Pacific Time, they host their podcast live on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/wearejusttwodads They’re quite a compelling duo and they are our guests on this week’s Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. Email – wearejusttwodads@gmail.comEmail Brian – brian.altounian@gmail.comEmail Shawn – contactshawnfrancis@gmail.comBrian LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianaltounian/Shawn LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnf56/ Transcript: Coming Soon

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228 – Dr. Judson Brandeis of San Francisco, A Board Certified Urologist & Author Of The 21st Century Man

Our guest this week is Dr. Judson Brandeis, of Sn Francisco, is a board certified urologist whose mission is to help men maintain their overall health. Dr. Judson also wrote and compiled the book, The 21st Century Man, Advice From 50 Top Doctors and Men’s Heath Experts. He’s quite an amazing guy and he’s our guest this week on the Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. Judson Brandeis MD – https://brandeismd.com LinkedIn –https://www.linkedin.com/in/judsonbrandeismd/ Email – jmbrandeis@yahoo.com Click Here To Buy Book – https://thetwentyfirstcenturyman.com/ Discount Code for his book – DAD2DAD Transcript: Coming Soon

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227 – Joshua Carrigg of Gaithersburg, MD, Master Sergeant U.S. Army & Father of Three All with Special Needs

Our guest this week is Joshua Carrigg, of Gaithersburg, MD, a Master Sergeant in the U.S. Army. Joshua and his wife, Austin, have been married for 20 years and are the proud parents of three: Christian (20), Nicholas (17) who has Autism and adopted daughter Melanie (9) who has Down syndrome and other special healthcare needs. Joshua joined the US Army at 20 and has served for 19 years including two deployments to Iraq ’in 03-’04 and ’06-’07. Joshua’s wife, Austin, is the founder and CEO of the Exceptional Families of the Military (EFM), a volunteer-led, non-profit organization specializing in helping

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226 – Owen Marcus of Nevada City, CA an Executive Coach, Founder of Whole Clinics & Co-Founder of Evryman

Our guest this week is Owen Marcus, of Nevada City, CA, an executive coach, founder of Whole Clinics, a Group Lead Trainer for the Mankind Project and Co-Founder of EvryMan, a global community of men who come together to challenge and assist one another with their emotional well being and personal growth. We’ll hear Owen talk and provide insights about being a man in today’s world and how to be the best: father, husband, friend and man you can be. That’s all on this this week’s Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast. Find out more about Owen Marcus at – https://owenmarcus.com

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225 – Ron Janowczyk of Colleyville, TX, Father of Three and Founder of Special Strong of Northeast Tarrant County

Our guest this week is Ron Janowczyk of Colleyville, TX the father of three, a wine industry veteran and owner of Special Strong of Northeast Tarrant County, a sports facility, that helps develop specialized fitness programs for people with mental, cognitive, and physical challenges. Ron and his wife, Gloria, have been married for 39 years and are the proud parents of three children; Lauren (35), Joe (33) and Jake (26) who has Williams Syndrome. After a very successful career in the wine industry, Ron felt the call to do something purposeful and in line with his values driven by his faith,

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224 – Stewart Perriliat of San Anselmo, CA, Father of 3, Former USMC Sergeant, Author & Founder of Man2Man Urban Youth Advocate

Our guest this week is Stewart Perriliat of San Anselmo, CA, who is the father of three, a former U.S. Marine Sergeant, Founder and CEO of Perrilliat Enterprises, a general contracting and engineering firm, an author, ordained minister and founder of Man2Man Urban Youth Advocate. Stewart is father of three: Jessica (34), Stewart Jr. (18) and Destiny (15). Stewart is a man on a mission — helping dads be better dads — whether they’re incarcerated or just needing that extra push. Stewart and his team also help men be better men. It’s an inspiring story and one we’ll hear this week

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223 – Mike DeLeon of Pacific, WA Father of Four, Including Two with UCD and Co-Founder of Connecting Families UCD Foundation

Our guest this week is Michael Deleon of Pacific, WA, who has an aviation and aerospace background, is the father of four, including two impacted by Urea Cycle Disorder (UCD) and co-founder of the Connecting Families UCD Foundation. Michael and his wife, Robin, have been married for 23 years and are the proud parents of nine, including five from Robin’s first marriage, two from his first marriage and two children between the two of them. Sadly, their son, Michael, diagnosed with UCD, passed away in 2000 at age 3 months. And, their daughter, Ariella, who is 19, was also diagnosed with

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Mission & Vision

Mission Statement
 Improving the lives of children by raising awareness and resources for greater father involvement; and inspiring dads to be present —physically, emotionally, financially and spiritually.

Vision Statement
That all children will grow up with a loving, caring and nurturing father and family.

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