Sandra Joy Stein lives with her husband and son in New York. Her son spent the first two years of his life as a typical baby and toddler, but when he was almost 3 years old, he woke up one morning in a seizure and ended up in a hospital for the next fifteen months. Diagnosed with an autoimmune encephalitis, his rare disease caused catastrophic neurologic difficulties. He is now a lively nine year old with an indomitable spirit and a smile that lights up everyone around him. L

Josh Fyman lives with his wife Avigael and young son Morgan on Long Island. His seven year old daughter Penny has lived for the past 3 1/2 years at St. Mary's Hospital for Children. Penny was diagnosed with Aicardi Syndrome, a very rare seizure disorder. Although the range of severity is large, Penny's disabilities are the most severe, and in addition to seizures she is completely dependent on caregivers for all life activities. Listen on iTunes In today's podcast, Josh tells

Natalie Weaver is a caregiver, mother and healthcare and patient advocate. Her fight was inspired by her daughter Sophia who wouldn't survive without healthcare. Sophia is nine years old, loves music and cuddling and arts and crafts. She was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome, has an immune deficiency and Type 1 Diabetes as well as an unknown cranio-facial deformity. Natalie is the founder of Sophia’s Voice which aims to help people in the disability community in various ways. She

You might already have heard of Paige Figi -- or at least her daughter Charlotte of the eponymous "Charlotte's Web," a type of therapeutic hemp oil with low THC and high CBD (CBD, or Cannabidiol, is a known anticonvulsant, reducing epileptic symptoms without the psychotropic effect). Raising a daughter with Dravet syndrome, a serious form of epilepsy, Paige -- a mother of three in Colorado -- was desperate to find a treatment that would help her then 5-year old live a better

Ted Lyde is a comedian and the father of a special needs son and a "near-genius" daughter. His son Jackson is fifteen years old and his daughter Grace is seventeen. Jackson has muscular ataxia and is non-verbal, but Ted says he's still very loud and celebratory, even at 5 am. He's been married to his wife Jaime for many years. Listen on iTunes In today's podcast, we discussed everything from what it means to be a father of a special needs son, how anger and grieving affect mo