The Mark White Show

On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Jamie Gatlin as she shares about her husband, Jeff Gatlin, and his search for a living kidney donor as he lives with polycystic kidney disease (PKD).

Jeff has known since his teenage years that he had PKD, a hereditary disease that also claimed his father’s life and affects one of his sisters. For years, he was able to live a relatively normal life, but now his kidney function has declined to about nine percent, and he is preparing to begin dialysis while waiting for a transplant.

Jamie shares that Jeff is currently listed for a kidney transplant at Vanderbilt and is also working toward being listed in Birmingham. Like so many families facing chronic illness, they’re navigating the uncertainty of waiting while hoping that someone will choose to become a living donor.

A living kidney donation has the potential to change not only Jeff’s life, but the lives of his wife, Jamie, and their 23-year-old twins.

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On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Jessica Darby as she shares about losing her husband, Ethan, and helping their two young boys navigate grief while carrying her own.

Jessica talks about the support her family has received through Caring House and the challenge of recognizing that sometimes the big emotions of childhood grief are about much more than what appears to be happening in the moment.

Her experience is also a reminder of why continuing to show up for families after a loss matters.

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At just 33 years old, Jessica Darby is navigating life without her husband, Ethan, while raising their six- and eight-year-old boys. She wants people to understand what they can’t see from the outside, including the grief behind a child’s difficult moment and the weight of decisions she never expected to make alone.

Tonight, Jessica shares about the husband and father they miss, the people who continue to show up, & the everyday acts of kindness that have given her family room to grieve. She also speaks honestly about faith, unanswered questions, & facing a future she never planned.

Following the Collins-Hooks Award ceremony, this conversation carries forward a reminder of the losses Crystal Collins and Alexandra Hicks experienced as young wives and why our support for families must continue beyond the moments when we publicly remember their loved ones.

Please share this conversation with someone who needs encouragement or wants to better support a grieving family.

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On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Dr. Michael Merzenich, one of the neuroscience pioneers whose early work helped establish the foundation for multichannel cochlear implants.

Dr. Merzenich reflects on the scientific and engineering challenges once thought nearly impossible and the collaborative work that ultimately helped give more than one million people worldwide access to sound and spoken communication.

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I’ve shared many stories about Bankston Motor Homes and the wishes they’ve helped make possible through their partnership with Make-A-Wish Alabama. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to see the heart behind those wishes firsthand.

On this Make a Difference Minute, I’m taking you to Bankston Motor Homes in Huntsville, where Make-A-Wish Alabama Wish Coordinator Tonya Baker shares what these camper wishes can mean for children facing serious illnesses and their families and why partnerships and community support are so important.

A wish can give a family a safe space, freedom to travel together & an opportunity to make memories away from hospitals and treatments.

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Tonight’s guest is one of the most accomplished and fascinating people I’ve had the opportunity to interview.

Dr. Michael Merzenich helped establish the neurological foundation for the modern multichannel cochlear implant. His research contributed to electrode design, implant safety, and some of the earliest clinical trials of a technology that now provides access to sound and spoken communication for more than one million people around the world!

The science is remarkable. A cochlear implant bypasses damaged sensory cells and delivers patterned electrical stimulation to the auditory nerve. The information it provides isn’t identical to natural hearing, but the brain is remarkably adaptable. As Dr. Merzenich explained, the brain learns to make sense of those signals until words, voices, and other familiar sounds become understandable.

Dr. Merzenich is now one of five international pioneers receiving the 2026 Richard N. Merkin Prize in Biomedical Technology. Even with that recognition, he repeatedly directed the credit toward the scientists, engineers, physicians, government partners, and patients who worked together to make it possible.

This was an amazing conversation about the human brain, scientific persistence, international cooperation, and what can happen when people unite around the goal of improving lives.

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On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Labrina Solomon, founder and president of Joshua's Wish. After losing her five-year-old son, Joshua, to DIPG in 2009, LaBrina and her family turned their love for him into a mission to help other families and advance research toward better treatments and, ultimately, a cure.

Joshua’s Wish has contributed more than $250,000 to the brain tumor program at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, where Joshua was a patient.

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Tonight, I’m joined by Labrina Solomon, president and co-founder of Joshua's Wish.

Labrina and her husband, Trent, created Joshua’s Wish after losing their 5-year-old son, Joshua, to DIPG, an aggressive form of childhood brain cancer. For 17 years, they have carried his memory forward by supporting families, raising awareness and helping fund pediatric brain tumor research.

We’ll talk about Joshua, the mission his life inspired and the upcoming Joshua’s Wish Gold Ribbon 5K and Honor Walk on Saturday, September 19th, in Macon, Georgia.

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On this Make a Difference Minute, I have Dr. Leigh Wilson, Medical Director of the NYC Health + Hospitals World Trade Center Health Program Clinical Center of Excellence, as we recognize 25 years since the September 11th attacks.

Dr. Wilson explains how exposure to dust, debris and other substances in the New York City disaster area has been connected to respiratory illnesses, digestive conditions and certain cancers—and why people who were there may still be affected today.

If you or someone you know lived, worked, attended school or childcare, or spent time in the New York City disaster area during or after September 11, 2001, learn more at CDC.gov/WTC.

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Maisy Rhinehart entered the world at only 22 weeks, weighing 1 pound, 2.5 ounces. A Grade IV bilateral brain bleed caused hydrocephalus, and she spent 145 days in the NICU. By the age of six, Maisy has already undergone five brain surgeries.

Despite everything she has faced, Maisy is a happy little girl who is now navigating kindergarten like a champ. Her family celebrates how well she is doing while living with the reality that another brain surgery could always be right around the corner.

Tonight, Maisy’s mother, Briana Rhinehart, shares their family’s journey and explains how it led her to become the Alabama chairperson for the WALK to End Hydrocephalus. We will also talk about the work of the Hydrocephalus Association and the Alabama WALK coming to Legacy Park in Huntsville, AL, on October 17th.

Listen, learn, & help us share Maisy’s story with others.

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