RAD Podcast S1E1 Show Notes / Summary Episode Title: Expectations vs. Reality in Special Needs Fatherhood

Episode Summary:

In the debut episode of Rising Above Dads, three fathers share honest, vulnerable stories about adjusting to life as special needs dads. Through humor, faith, and raw emotion, they explore what it means to grieve unmet expectations, navigate anger, and find hope in the unexpected journey of parenting children with disabilities.

Meet the hosts: Steve Chatman is married to Lori and they have 5 children and 4 grandchildren. Three of their children live with special needs. Steve serves as Vice President of Rising Above Ministries, played rugby at Tennessee Tech, studied theology and family ministry at Bethel Seminary, procrastinates a lot, loves to watch old TV Gameshows on YouTube, and he owns a banjo and tuxedo but rarely uses either.

Daniel Brooks is married to Dusti and they have 4 sons, one of which has congenital central hyperventilation syndrome. Daniel is the Online Campus Pastor at his church and enjoys using technology and media to help others connect with God. He studied music performance at Tennessee Tech. In his spare time he enjoys hanging with his family and watching his boys pursue their passions. He also loves to drink coffee and quote Tow Mater from the movie Cars.

Dustin Rawls is married to Mandy and has two children, Dylan and Madison who was born with Spina Bifida. Dustin serves as the Men’s Ministry director at his church and has a passion for discipleship. He works for the financial aid arm of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and has never met an audience he didn’t love. Whether it was bowling a perfect 300, becoming the first ever homecoming king at MTSU, or finishing his fourth degree, clearly Dustin has a need to prove something that nobody else cares about.

Related links: www.risingaboveministries.org

Contact us: schatman@risingaboveministies.org

About the Show Rising Above Dads is created & produced by Rising Above Ministries. To learn more about us and our resources for special-needs families, visit our website at www.risingaboveministries.org. If you’ve enjoyed listening and want to hear more, we’d love for you to subscribe to our podcast or share it to encourage a friend.

*Theme music and editing by Open Mic Studios. https://openmicrecordingstudio.com/