TALK Down Syndrome

Nestled in the heart of Boca Raton, Florida, Delicious Spoonfuls is serving up much more than just sweet treats—it is scooping up hope, purpose, and community connection. Founded by Robert and Helen with their son, Adir (who has Down Syndrome) as their muse, this unique ice cream company is driven by a deeply impactful mission: employing individuals with special needs to help them become as functional and independent as possible. By blending the joy of desserts with a structured, supportive environment, Robert and Helen are dedicated to teaching their team essential life skills, fostering personal growth, and proving that everyone has a valuable ingredient to contribute. For Delicious Spoonfuls, giving back to the community isn’t just a business practice; it’s the core recipe of everything they do.

You can find more of Delicious Spoonfuls on their website: https://deliciousspoonfuls.org/

Debbie Miller is the author of "Raising Ricky," a memoir she wrote describing her journey advocating for her brother Ricky who not only has Down Syndrome but was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Ricky was born in the 60's, in which Debbie gives us insight on how people with special needs were treated in the past and although support and aid for those with special needs has increased since then, we still have so much advocating to keep doing. Debbie now fights for new studies that highlights the importance of early detection of Alzheimer's Disease, especially for our older loved ones with Down Syndrome. Debbie is the perfect example of how advocating never stops.

We always have episodes discussing our journeys with our loved ones with special needs, but why don't we ever ask ourselves "how is our marriage or relationship going after having a child with special needs?" Often times the struggles and obstacles parents face having a child with special needs draws them further apart than closer. Today we dive into just that with Petra Rojas from The Counseling Couple. Her and her husband Alex run a faith based couples counseling and this topic has been widely seen in their sessions. How to navigate through marriage (with base of Christianity) on parenting a child that has special needs. More importantly how to come together as a team and strengthen your relationship. We are happy to have you listen to this episode today. May it give you perspective and gratitude and comfort in whatever you have going on in your life.

Not only is Talia one of my newest friends, but she is an amazing author who just released her first book called The Adventures of Sammy and Rosie Conquering Thunder Hill, which is book number one of her series. Her main characters Sammy and Rosie are created after her children and Rosie has Autism just like her daughter in real life. Join us on this episode as we get into deep discussion about why she wrote this book, parenting and navigating in today’s society as a special needs mother, and how Christ is the foundation of her passion and daily commitment to changing todays norms on disabilities, prayer, and children’s readings. This episode holds dear to my heart and I hope it gives you listeners a sense of ease and empowerment in whatever struggles you may be conquering yourself, such as Sammy and Rosie do in Talia’s book.

This TALK episode we have guests, Phillip and Ramona Gallegos from The Upside of Down Foundation. Phillip and Ramona created a fun way to advocate for their son, Zachary, through Golf Tournaments. Today we speak to them about their journey with Zachary and how golfing and awareness have come together. This one is a good one, you don't want to miss it.

Today we are kicking off World Down Syndrome Day, I would say SUPER early but only because when I think of WDSD I think of John's Crazy Socks. Today's episode features father and son duo, Mark and John Cronin owners and creators of John's Crazy Socks. When I first entered this community, I remember seeing John's Crazy Socks marketed everywhere online and it has finally come full circle where they are now on my podcast! It was such a joy to discuss how their business started as well getting to know more about John as an individual and I can tell you now, him and his dad have one heck of a relationship. What they have created is what all of us parents dream about, a successful business full of happiness, love, travel, and advocacy with our children. These two are quite a pair so take a listen to today's short but sweet episode of the journey of Mark and John Cronin of none other than the best socks in town, John's Crazy Socks.

If you would like to see more of John and Mark visit these links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzPvxz1oUEA&feature=youtu.be

Behind this podcast, behind every life event I have ever had (including the birth our children) is my main support, my husband, Michael Holm. This podcast has now been running for a little over 3 years, and guess what, my husband has never been featured on it. So for this episode we decided to drop the kids off at the grandparents, grab a drink, and record his viewpoint of parenting both our children, being a special needs parent from a father's perspective, and how he see's the future of our family raising a child like Cheyenne and Jade. This episode is extra special to me because I hardly get to have conversations from a man's perspective on special needs parenting. We ever so often hear journeys from women. So grab a drink with us and take a listen to our shenanigan's about what is was like having Cheyenne and Jade