Dad to Dad Podcast

Little City Parents Featured on Dad to Dad Podcast

Dan Tepperman and Mark Paterson know what it is like to make the decision to send a child to Little City. While it can be a difficult choice, both fathers know how beneficial the decision is to both the child and family. Dan and Mark took the time recently to speak about the struggles, joys and experiences as fathers of sons with a profound disability on the Dad to Dad Podcast – a show focused on mentoring fathers raising children with special needs. The show – hosted by David Hirsch, author of “21 st Century Dads” – covered everything from the day they found out about their respective child’s diagnosis, the decision to send their kids to Little City and how the agency has benefitted them over the years. “As fathers of kids with developmental disabilities, we are advocates for special needs,” Dan said. “I look at it as an honor and a privilege to give a voice to the voiceless … and hopefully someone can listen to me and be inspired.” To hear the full interview and learn more about the Dad to Dad Podcast and Special Fathers Network, visit www.littlecity.org/podcast. Here are some of the highlights from the two episodes: DAN TEPPERMAN: I remember Scott was 3 and we went to a neurologist. He had to do a certain exercise and we knew there was something wrong. I remember it was a really hot summer day. Really hard memories. I knew we were going to have a different life from then on. People are well meaning but they don’t really understand the nature and gravity of it until they live with it. On choosing Little City: It was getting really hard as he was getting older. Little City had a place for him and it was probably the best decision we ever made. It was bittersweet of course. Heartwrenching. But we knew it was necessary and we knew that we would be better parents to make that decision. You can’t go it alone. There is the old saying if you’re in a plane crash, god forbid, the parent is supposed to get the oxygen before the child so the parent can then properly take care of the child and I think that saying holds true. Little City is our oxygen mask. MARK PATERSON: Tim was a wonderful little kid with just a sweet little disposition. Even in the context of his autism, Tim is still a wonderful person and taught us a lot about life and how to be a good person. They say if you meet a person with autism you’ve met one person with autism because they are all different. Tim likes being around other people. We would have a party at our house … and it would come time for people to go home and Tim would stand in front of the door and try to push people back in because he didn’t want the party to end. On choosing Little City: He’s in a house that is purpose-built for taking care of him. He’s going to school every morning. We’re seeing him four times a week. We’re very involved in his life. He’s well taken care of, we know all the care givers, we know his teachers, we’re very plugged in to Little City and it was life changing for us as a family to be able to, for our two younger ones, to sit down and do homework. To pay attention. To do a lot of little things … we just weren’t able to do.