The Lucky Few

Latest Episodes:

238. Empowering Wellness: TruFit's Adaptive & Inclusive Fitness Revolution (w/ founders Adam & John White) Dec 19, 2023

Show notes

Friends, grab your workout pants because this episode is all about the positive effects of health, and wellness, and how fitness is for everyone—especially our loved ones with DS.

We’re thrilled to talk with TruFit’s founders, John & Adam White, on the show! Today they share how in 2010, they identified an unmet need within the fitness community, prompting them to establish TruFit Adaptive Fitness. Thirteen years later, their solution is clear: TruFit Adaptive Fitness uses technology to provide fitness solutions for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and today they share the vision that fitness is for everyone.

The TruFit community is doing some revolutionary things by building the fundamental positive message around fitness with modified exercise workouts tailored for specific disabilities.

From community events to collaborating with local OT, PT, and adaptive PE Coaches and healthcare providers to empowering parents. They are making health and wellness inclusive and comprehensive. Let’s go!

SHOW NOTES

Follow TruFit:

DISCOUNT CODE

Friends, grab your narrative shifting gear over on The Lucky Few Merch Shop and use code PODCAST for 10% off!

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR:

Thank you, AbleNow for sponsoring this episode!

ABLEnow accounts are the result of a grassroots, cross-disability advocacy effort. The idea originated with a group of parents who recognized the inequity of not being able to save money in their child’s name for fear of losing essential benefits (such as Medicaid).

These advocates helped to change the law, so people with disabilities can achieve a better life experience.

Today, ABLEnow accounts are available to qualified individuals in all 50 states.

Learn if you, or someone you know, is eligible for an ABLEnow account at ABLEnow.com

HELP US SHIFT THE NARRATIVE

Interested in partnering with The Lucky Few Podcast as a sponsor? Email hello@theluckyfewpodcast.com for more information!

LET’S CHAT

Email hello@theluckyfewpodcast.com with your questions and Good News for future episodes.

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237. Is There Such A Thing As A Difficult Parent? Dec 12, 2023

Show notes

There are so many feelings when we enter spaces alongside our loved ones with Down syndrome and disabilities. The question, “Is there such a thing as a difficult parent?” It made us think deeply about advocacy, boundaries, and how gender, race, and cultural stereotypes can play a role in this question. What does it mean to advocate? What is your job as your child's advocate? If you make people uncomfortable does that make you difficult or does that make you an advocate? Is there a way around advocating and not being labeled a difficult parent? Friends, you don't want to miss our conversation on this hot topic!

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SHOW NOTES:

Check out Open Future Learning's Instagram post that got this conversation started!

DISCOUNT CODE:

Friends, grab your narrative shifting gear over on The Lucky Few Merch Shop and use code PODCAST for 10% off!

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

Thank you, Enable SNP for sponsoring this episode!

47. Planning for the Future w/Phillip Clark from Enable SNP

191. Future Planning for the WHOLE Family - ft. Phillip Clark, Enable SNP

Thank you, Jack’s Basket for sponsoring this episode!

EP 44 Shifting the Diagnosis Narrative w/Carissa Carroll from Jack's Basket

HELP US SHIFT THE NARRATIVE

Interested in partnering with The Lucky Few Podcast as a sponsor? Email hello@theluckyfewpodcast.com for more information!

LET’S CHAT

Email hello@theluckyfewpodcast.com with your questions and Good News for future episodes.

236. Making Space For Grief (w/Claire Bidwell Smith) Dec 05, 2023

Show notes

Friends, we’re so excited to have licensed therapist and grief expert, Claire Bidwell Smith on the show to give us some tools and resources for coping with the grief that comes with a Down syndrome diagnosis. Led by her own experiences with grief, and fueled by her work in hospice and private practice, Claire strives to provide support for all kinds of people experiencing grief and is devoted to expanding the conversation around grief and loss. We’re chatting about tools and strategies for grief around a diagnosis, grieving a life we’d imagined for our loved one, managing anxiety around medical issues that can come with a Down syndrome diagnosis, and so much more. No matter where you are in your journey, we want you to know, that you’re not alone. We hope this episode provides some helpful tools, strategies, and support.

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SHOW NOTES

Learn more about Claire Bidwell Smith

Order a copy of Claire’s book: Anxiety The Missing Stage of Grief

Check out Claire’s Podcast A New Day

Learn more about Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chödrön

Check out our episodes with Lindsey Strickland:

36. A Tough Conversation About Sexual Abuse in the Down Syndrome Community w/Lindsey Strickland

142. Our Kids are #WorthTheConversation (Sexual Abuse, Safety, & Body Autonomy in the DS Community)

DISCOUNT CODE

Friends, grab your narrative shifting gear over on The Lucky Few Merch Shop and use code PODCAST for 10% off!

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR:

Thank you, ABLEnow for sponsoring this episode!

115. How The ABLE Act Supports Your Child's Future (ft. Catherine Beck)

HELP US SHIFT THE NARRATIVE

Interested in partnering with The Lucky Few Podcast as a sponsor? Email hello@theluckyfewpodcast.com for more information!

LET’S CHAT
Email hello@theluckyfewpodcast.com with your questions and Good News for future episodes.

235. All The "Big Feelings" Nov 28, 2023

Show notes

Happy, sad, angry, frustrated, excited, it’s not always easy to know how to express these feelings, especially for our kiddos with Down syndrome. Today we’re talking about all those “big feelings” that can be hard to regulate at times. We’re chatting about how we’ve been working on helping our kiddos handle all those “big feelings” and so much more. How we’ve had to become a “detective” of our kiddo's feelings and learned to recognize how some of them can be affected by nutrition, sleep, activity, etc. Navigating emotions isn’t easy for anyone, putting these feelings into words can sometimes be even harder. Learning what tools have been helpful for our kiddos to express and feel understood has been essential, especially entering those teen years! Friends, this is an episode you don’t want to miss!

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SHOW NOTES

Learn more about resources from Dr. Vaish Sarathy on functional nutrition

Micha’s movie recommendation Everything, Everywhere, All At Once

Related Episodes:

15. Discipline and Down Syndrome with Dr. David Stein

8. Therapy and All the Feelings

79. Understanding Functional Nutrition for Our Kids w/Down Syndrome, ft. Dr. Sarathy

134. Social Stories for Kiddos with Down Syndrome (ft. Dr. Lina Patel, PsyD)

DISCOUNT CODE

Friends, grab your narrative shifting gear over on The Lucky Few Merch Shop and use code PODCAST for 10% off!

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

Thank you, Enable SNP for sponsoring this episode!

47. Planning for the Future w/Phillip Clark from Enable SNP

191. Future Planning for the WHOLE Family - ft. Phillip Clark, Enable SNP

Thank you, Jack’s Basket for sponsoring this episode!

EP 44 Shifting the Diagnosis Narrative w/Carissa Carroll from Jack's Basket

EP 180 "You Make Me Better" (An Interview with Carissa Carroll, Founder of Jack's Basket)

HELP US SHIFT THE NARRATIVE

Interested in partnering with The Lucky Few Podcast as a sponsor? Email hello@theluckyfewpodcast.com for more information!

LET’S CHAT

Email hello@theluckyfewpodcast.com with your questions and Good News for future episodes.

234. Producing A Diverse, Authentic, & Honoring Netflix Series (w/ Down For Love Producer Robyn Paterson) Nov 21, 2023

Show notes

On episode 226 we shared our thoughts on the hit Netflix series Down For Love which follows several people with Down syndrome as they navigate “the triumphs and trials of dating.” If you listened to “Our Thoughts On The Netflix Series Down For Love,” then you know how much we loved this show and appreciated the conversations that it started. We’re so excited to keep the conversation going with the Producer of the show, Robyn Paterson! Robyn is a filmmaker and screen creative based in New Zealand committed to promoting diversity, respect, partnership, and equity both on and off the screen. Best known for Down for Love (Netflix), In the Zone (Apple TV), Grand Designs: New Zealand, and Finding Mercy (Prime Video), and the current President of the Directors and Editors Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Friends, we get a behind-the-scenes look at the process of approaching the storytelling of participants with Down syndrome and the intentional decisions that made the show so impactful. Robyn shares the challenges and impactful moments of filming Down For Love, along with the differences from other reality-type shows. We chat about the casting process to ensure diverse and authentic representation, and so much more! We promise there are no spoilers, just an incredible conversation about the responsibility to tell diverse, authentic, and honoring stories of people with disabilities.

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SHOW NOTES

Watch Down For Love

Learn more about Robyn Paterson

Learn more about the Directors and Editors Guild of Aotearoa New Zealand (DEGANZ).

Learn more about Robyn’s Production company, Sweet.

Learn more about Paralympic Gold Medalist, Jai Waite.

Learn more about Upside Downs

Check out our conversation about Down For Love on episode 226!

DISCOUNT CODE

Friends, grab your narrative shifting gear over on The Lucky Few Merch Shop and use code PODCAST for 10% off!

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

Thank you, Enable SNP or sponsoring this episode!

47. Planning for the Future w/Phillip Clark from Enable SNP

191. Future Planning for the WHOLE Family - ft. Phillip Clark, Enable SNP

Thank you, ABLEnow for sponsoring this episode!

115. How The ABLE Act Supports Your Child's Future (ft. Catherine Beck)

HELP US SHIFT THE NARRATIVE

Interested in partnering with The Lucky Few Podcast as a sponsor? Email hello@theluckyfewpodcast.com for more information!

LET’S CHAT

Email hello@theluckyfewpodcast.com with your questions and Good News for future episodes.

233. Celebrating The Season: 2023 Holiday Gift Guide Nov 14, 2023

Show notes

Oprah’s favorite things are legendary, just like our gift guide- prepare to unwrap some magic with our 2023 gift ideas! We’ve got some rad ideas for everyone on your list from gifts for kiddos, grandparents, spouses, teachers, and more! Friends, we’ve scoured the corners of creativity and combed through countless options to find the perfect gifts for this years list. From functional, to educational, to downright stylish, and something to wrap it all up with, we’ve got you covered. You know we can’t resist some fun holiday stories with memories of the worst gifts we’ve ever received. Grab a cup of cocoa, sit back, and relax because The Lucky Few Podcast 2023 Holiday Gift Guide has you covered!

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SHOW NOTES

Micha’s Picks:

Down’s & Town’s Scottish Cow Tote
Hoodies from Emmet Kyoshi Art
Bracelets from The Spotlight Project
Tis’ The Season Wrapping Paper from Grace Place Art

Mercedes’ Picks:

The Yoto Player Gift Sets

Sentence building puzzles:

Puzzle on Sunny’s list

Puzzle on Sunny’s list

Speech & Language Learning Kit

A set of Ky’s Kard’s to practice those writing skills with some Thank-you notes!

Heather’s Picks:

DISCOUNT CODE

Friends, grab your narrative shifting gear over on The Lucky Few Merch Shop and use code PODCAST for 10% off!

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

Thank you, Jack’s Basket for sponsoring this episode!

EP 44 Shifting the Diagnosis Narrative w/Carissa Carroll from Jack's Basket

EP 180 "You Make Me Better" (An Interview with Carissa Carroll, Founder of Jack's Basket)

Thank you, ABLEnow for sponsoring this episode!

115. How The ABLE Act Supports Your Child's Future (ft. Catherine Beck)

HELP US SHIFT THE NARRATIVE

Interested in partnering with The Lucky Few Podcast as a sponsor? Email hello@theluckyfewpodcast.com for more information!

LET’S CHAT

Email hello@theluckyfewpodcast.com with your questions and Good News for future episodes.

232. Shifting The Narrative Through Unexpected News Curriculum For Providers (w/Carissa Carroll & Dr. Erin Plummer) Nov 09, 2023

Show notes

Friends, we’re excited to have Jack’s Basket founder Carissa Carroll back on the show! Today she’s joined by Dr. Erin Plummer to chat with us all about a new curriculum they are launching for medical providers. They’re providing practical online training for providers to review the literature and allow reflection on their own experiences of giving a diagnosis. What could they do better? What went well? What were they feeling? How might their patient have felt? Carissa shares her own experience with receiving her son’s Down syndrome diagnosis and her passion for changing a family’s diagnosis story from the very beginning. We’re so grateful for the work Carissa and Dr. Plummer are doing for our community and can’t wait to share this incredible project they’ve been working on that will make a positive impact for so many families!

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SHOW NOTES

Learn more about Jack’s Basket

Resources for Providers

Prenatal Consult Film

205. Healthcare Equity in the Down Syndrome Community w/Dr. Spinazzi & Dr. Skotko

Check out previous episodes with Carissa Carroll:

44. Shifting the Diagnosis Narrative w/Carissa Carroll from Jack's Basket

180. "You make me better" (An Interview with Carissa Carroll, Founder of Jack's Basket)

DISCOUNT CODE

Friends, grab your narrative shifting gear over on The Lucky Few Merch Shop and use code PODCAST for 10% off!

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR:

Thank you, Enable SNP or sponsoring this episode!

47. Planning for the Future w/Phillip Clark from Enable SNP

191. Future Planning for the WHOLE Family - ft. Phillip Clark, Enable SNP

HELP US SHIFT THE NARRATIVE

Interested in partnering with The Lucky Few Podcast as a sponsor? Email hello@theluckyfewpodcast.com for more information!

LET’S CHAT

Email hello@theluckyfewpodcast.com with your questions and Good News for future episodes.

231. Love, Marriage, & Equality w/Craig & Heather (w/Mom’s Lisa & Pat) Oct 31, 2023

Show notes

Friends, thank you for celebrating Down Syndrome Awareness Month with us! Today we wrap up our celebration with self-advocates Craig Blackburn & Heather Hancock-Blackburn. This power couple is talking all about love at first sight, marriage equality, long-distance relationships, and so much more! From shifting narratives to building careers, and competing in Special Olympics across the country these incredible self-advocates have so much to be proud of. Heather’s Mom Lisa and Craig’s Mom Pat join us to share what it was like as parents to witness their love story and advice for parents and caregivers. Craig & Heather you had us at hello, we just love your love! You don’t want to miss this epic celebration of love, self-advocacy, and equality.

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SHOW NOTES

Watch Craig & Heather’s Wedding Video
Follow Craig on Instagram and Facebook
Follow Heather on Instagram and Facebook

Learn more about marriage equality for people with disabilities:

‘Seeking Marriage Equality for People With Disabilities’ NYT Article

Learn more about Marriage Equality Legislation

Learn more about Marriage Equality and its effect on benefits

DISCOUNT CODE

Friends, grab your narrative shifting gear over on The Lucky Few Merch Shop and use code PODCAST for 10% off!

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR:

Thank you, ABLEnow for sponsoring this episode!

115. How The ABLE Act Supports Your Child's Future (ft. Catherine Beck)

HELP US SHIFT THE NARRATIVE

Interested in partnering with The Lucky Few Podcast as a sponsor? Email hello@theluckyfewpodcast.com for more information!

LET’S CHAT

Email hello@theluckyfewpodcast.com with your questions and Good News for future episodes.

230. Artist, Boss Lady, Soon To Be Aunt: Grace Reber (w/Mom Bonnie) Oct 24, 2023

Show notes

Happy Down Syndrome Awareness Month, friends!! We’re celebrating BIG this month with some incredible self-advocates chatting about everything from entrepreneurship to marriage! Today, we’re excited to have artist, entrepreneur, and soon-to-be Aunt, Grace from Grace Place Art! Grace and Mom Bonnie join us to share about their journey starting a small business and the projects they’ve been working on. What started as a fun project of creating original artwork for family has become an online business, collaborations, and opportunities to give back. Grace and her Mom are passionate about empowering others and have spoken to classrooms around the world! When Disney’s Pixar commissioned a piece of artwork, Grace and her parents decided on the perfect character that they felt connected to their own journey. From becoming a boss lady to giving back, to preparing to be an Aunt, and so much more, this is an episode you don't want to miss!

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SHOW NOTES

Follow Grace Place Art on Instagram
Start your Holiday shopping with GracePlace Art

Check out Grace’s collab with The Happy Planner
Check out Grace’s collab with Chaos & Kindness

DISCOUNT CODE

Friends, grab your narrative shifting gear over on The Lucky Few Merch Shop and use code PODCAST for 10% off!

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

Thank you, Enable SNP for sponsoring this episode!

Thank you, Jack’s Basket for sponsoring this episode!

HELP US SHIFT THE NARRATIVE

Interested in partnering with The Lucky Few Podcast as a sponsor? Email hello@theluckyfewpodcast.com for more information!

LET’S CHAT

Email hello@theluckyfewpodcast.com with your questions and Good News for future episodes.

229. Poet, Author, “Levitator Of Language”: Sid Ghosh (w/Mom Dr. Vaish Sarathy) Oct 17, 2023

Show notes

Happy Down Syndrome Awareness Month, friends!! We’re celebrating BIG this month with some incredible self-advocates chatting about everything from entrepreneurship to marriage! Today, we’re excited to have poet, author, and “levitator of language,” Sid Ghosh on the show! He describes himself as, “just your autistic boy next door with Down syndrome!” His Mom, Dr. Vaish Sarathy joins us as Sid’s communication partner and also shares their journey of using spelling to communicate with the world. This incredible sixteen-year-old is the author of two chapbooks: Give a Book and Proceedings of the Full Moon Rotary Club. It’s a unique opportunity and honor to feature a non-speaker on a podcast and for the first time in The Lucky Few Podcast history, we’re offering a VIDEO version of this episode! Friends, whatever version you choose, this is an episode you don’t want to miss!

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SHOW NOTES