Dad to Dad Podcast copertina

Dad to Dad Podcast

Dad to Dad Podcast

Di: David Hirsch
Ascolta gratuitamente

Fathers mentoring fathers of kids with special needs - presented by the Special Fathers Network. Host David Hirsch interviews some amazing fathers of kids with special needs.Copyright David Hirsch
Episodi
  • SFN Dad To Dad 449 - Jim Ward of Fenton, MO A Project Engineer, Father Of Three Including One With Asperger's

    SFN Dad To Dad 449 - Jim Ward of Fenton, MO A Project Engineer, Father Of Three Including One With Asperger's
    Sep 25 2026
    Our guest this week is Jim Ward of Fenton, MO who is an engineer and project manager at Haberberger Mechanical Contractors and father of three including a son with Aspergers.

    Jim and his wife, Shelia, have been married for 29 years and are the proud parents of three children: Caleb (22), Ruth (26) and Noah (28) who has Aspergers.

    One of the difficult decisions Jim & Sheila faced was putting Noah in a residential facility as a teenager, becuase of Noah's behavior and for the overall welfare of the family.

    We also learn about a number of local programs that Noah and the Ward family have benfited from including:

    - St. Louis Arc
    - Easter Seals, and
    - Family Matters

    Jim is very transparent about discussing the ongoing challegnes that Noah faces. It's an insightful and authentic story all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.

    Show Links
    Phone – (314) 713-1147
    Email – ward.fam@sbcglobal.net
    LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-ward-1a865459/

    Special thanks to all those who supported the SFN U.S. Tour, a month-long, 50-state, 60+ stop tour that took place from May 21 to June 21, 2026: to strengthen and grow the Special Fathers Network and distribute 1,000+ complimentary copies of our new book: Dads Raising Children With Special Needs & Disabilities: A Guide For 21st Century Dads.

    Special Fathers Network –
    SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 900+ 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. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through.”

    SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.

    Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videos

    Please support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/

    Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/
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    30 min
  • SFN Dad To Dad 448 - Paul Orshan of Miami, FL An Attorney, Author & Father Of Three Including One Who Had A Rare Disease

    SFN Dad To Dad 448 - Paul Orshan of Miami, FL An Attorney, Author & Father Of Three Including One Who Had A Rare Disease
    Sep 18 2026
    Our guest this week is Paul Orshan of Miami, FL who is a prominent bankruptcy attorney, an author, a recovering person (12 step- clean for more than 40 years), and the father of three, including a daughter with special needs who very sadly passed away in 2015.

    Paul and his former wife were married for 17 years and are the proud parents of three children: Max, Emily and oldest child, Amanda, who was diagnosed with a rare genetic disease and very sadly passed away in 2015 at age 22.

    Paul is also the author of: Just Say Hello: The Ordinary Dates of My Sometimes Difficult and Sometimes Remarkable (but Always Interesting) Days (and Nights). The idea for the book sprung from a voicemail message a friend left as a condolence, shortly after Amanda passed away. That simple act of reaching out and just saying hello, "I'm thinking about you," has been transformative.

    Paul is also very transparent about drug and alcohol issues he had in his 20s, the positive impact the 12-step program has had on his life and is super proud that he has been clean for more than 40 years.

    It's an uplifting story about commitment to family, transparency, reslience and the power of simple messages, all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.

    Show Links
    Phone – (305) 215-3158
    Email – paulorshan@gmail.com
    LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/orshan-p-a-9473391b/
    Book: Just Say Hello - https://tinyurl.com/mryur334

    Special thanks to all those who supported the SFN U.S. Tour, a month-long, 50-state, 60+ stop tour that took place from May 21 to June 21, 2026: to strengthen and grow the Special Fathers Network and distribute 1,000+ complimentary copies of our new book: Dads Raising Children With Special Needs & Disabilities: A Guide For 21st Century Dads.

    Special Fathers Network –
    SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 900+ 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. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through.”

    SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.

    Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videos

    Please support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/

    Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/
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    28 min
  • SFN Dad To Dad 447 - Jerry Rakfeldt of Santa Monica, CA Who Is An Entrepreneur, Co-Founder of Adrian's Place & Father Of A Son With CP

    SFN Dad To Dad 447 - Jerry Rakfeldt of Santa Monica, CA Who Is An Entrepreneur, Co-Founder of Adrian's Place & Father Of A Son With CP
    Sep 11 2026
    Our guest this week is Jerry Rakfeldt of Santa Monica, CA who is an entrepreneur, marketing executive, disability advocate, co-founder of Growing Side By Side and Adrian’s Place and perhaps most importantly, father of two including a son with cerebral palsy.

    Jerry and his wife Katty have been married for 23 years and are the proud parents of two children: Sofia (19) and Adrian (22) who has cerebral palsy.

    Together they founded Adrian’s Place, a community activity center in Santa Monica, CA that offers a wide range of programs for youth and young adults with intellectual and physical disabilities. What makes Adrian's Place different is rather than operating as a traditional therapy center, Adrian's Place functions as a community-based activity center where independent providers deliver programs under one roof.

    It's an uplifting story about family, commitment to community and service all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.

    Show Links
    Phone – (310) 308-4149
    Email – Jerry@adriansplace.com
    LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerry-rakfeldt-994848/
    Website – https://www.adriansplace.com/
    Website – https://www.adriansplacefoundation.org/

    Special thanks to all those who supported the SFN U.S. Tour, a month-long, 50-state, 60+ stop tour that took place from May 21 to June 21, 2026: to strengthen and grow the Special Fathers Network and distribute 1,000+ complimentary copies of our new book: Dads Raising Children With Special Needs & Disabilities: A Guide For 21st Century Dads.

    Special Fathers Network –
    SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 900+ 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. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through.”

    SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.

    Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videos

    Please support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/

    Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/
    Mostra di più Mostra meno
    30 min
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