The Work in Bulgaria

Cooper's Atlanta Braves Pitch

This one is special. The Atlanta Braves is our family's favorite team and holds a special place in our hearts. Cooper's mission to advocate for children and pitch at every MLB stadium has finally led us to Atlanta. What a miracle-filled trip.  Cooper's Atlanta News Interview: https://www.fox5atlanta.com/video/1266107  ⁠⁠⁠https://rods.org/⁠⁠⁠ [https://rods.org/]

The Work in Bulgaria

Our final episode about the RODS Heroes trip to Eastern Europe is here. Listen as we share our experiences from Bulgaria. So many precious memories, but more importantly, strong connections made with people and governments. Time to start advocating for these kids! ⁠https://rods.org/⁠ [https://rods.org/]

Beyond Limits: How One Dad and His Son Are Changing Disability Forever

What if everything the world told you about disability was wrong? In this powerful episode, Mitch Holeve shares the raw and transformative journey of raising his son Garrett, a trailblazer with Down syndrome who defied every limit—including stepping into the cage as a mixed martial artist. Mitch unpacks the emotional highs and societal hurdles of parenting a child with disabilities, exposing outdated perceptions and advocating for a world that expects more because our kids are capable of more. From volunteering at Eunie's Buddies and mentoring new parents, Mitch challenges us to stop settling for sympathy and start building support systems that empower. This episode is a call to action—for positivity, for inclusion, and for a shift in how we define success, strength, and belonging.

Adoption, Disability, and the Truth No One Talks About

What if the very thing you feared most became the source of your deepest joy? In this raw and unfiltered episode, Amanda Ellard—mother, author, and fierce advocate—opens up about the life-altering journey of raising a child with Down syndrome. She doesn’t sugarcoat it. The grief is real. The trauma is real. But so is the joy—piercing, profound, and often found in the most unexpected places. Amanda speaks to the quiet battles adoptive parents face: the emotional exhaustion, the fear of failure, the invisible weight of parenting children with trauma. She challenges the narrative that love is always easy—revealing how trust must be earned, how vulnerability is non-negotiable, and how therapy and self-care are not luxuries but lifelines. This episode is a rallying cry: Every child—especially those the world too often overlooks—is worthy of celebration, belonging, and relentless advocacy. And perhaps the greatest transformation isn’t just in the child... but in us.

Telling the Untold: A New Vision for Down Syndrome in Film

What if the stories the world needs most are the ones we rarely see on screen? In this powerful episode, we sit down with David and Jackson Hughens—a father-son filmmaking team on a mission to challenge the status quo of storytelling. Their journey began not on a film set, but in the heart of a community too often overlooked: individuals with Down syndrome. What started as a personal connection evolved into a calling—to create films that don’t just include people with disabilities, but center them as heroes, artists, and changemakers. From intimate mini-documentaries to the ambitious development of a feature film inspired by the magnetic and unforgettable Jay, the Hughens are flipping the script on what Hollywood thinks audiences want. They speak candidly about the uphill battle to secure funding, the emotional weight of telling stories that matter, and how their time in Armenia deepened their understanding of the global need for adoption and advocacy. This episode isn’t just about filmmaking—it’s about demanding better from media, amplifying underrepresented voices, and proving that individuals with Down syndrome don’t need to be “fixed” or pitied. They need to be seen.