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New year, new season, new YOU! What better place to start positive change than to reflect upon and assess your family culture? In this episode, Donna chats with Fr. Chris Looby, pastor of three parishes in upstate New York (and podcaster!). He shares daily reflections on his weekday mass readings through his podcast to make his work more accessible as well as to strengthen faith among a local and global community.

In the latest episode of the Brighten Up Pod, Donna and Fr. Chris talk about the role faith can play in the health of families, regardless of what they look like. Join the conversation and consider your own family culture in the meantime as the discussion touches on many areas of daily family life, such as time management, rest, and social media.

The Father Chris Podcast - Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/show/33eRnrm6dzVfquvrVFMwuo

The Father Chris Podcast - Apple Podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-father-chris-podcast/id1548207870

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The old African proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child" is widely known, but is enough attention paid to the power of community in overcoming family hardships? Of all the difficulties the family unit faces, few are as daunting as a breast cancer diagnosis. There is a great deal to be hopeful of on a medical front, but the emotional front is a terrain all too treacherous that more women are having to endure.

In this episode, Donna sits down with lifetime friend, Tara LaMalfa to discuss her journey of surviving breast cancer. Tara is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, so navigating mental health is her expertise, yet nothing could prepare someone for the emotional toll a cancer diagnosis can take. As a working mom of three, the stakes were immensely high, but somehow the strength was discovered to persevere. Upon closer reflection from Tara, she reveals to us that it was all possible with the support of family, friends, and community.

For those seeking a story of inspiration, for those who have a loved one undergoing this life journey, or for those who are just starting their journey navigating breast cancer, the Brighten Up team invites you to listen in on this month's episode with the goal that this story of survival teaches you lessons to live a fuller and richer life, and to even dare to hope in a time of uncertainty when hope may feel scarce.

Hey listeners,

we're coming up on completing our first year anniversary, so we want to continue growing and connecting. We're asking all our listeners to connect with us on social media to demonstrate their support. Give us a hello on any comments and we'll happily give shoutouts! We'd also love to highlight questions or comments from fans to say thanks! Keep following the sunshine!

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Frontiers are often characterized as unknown territory because of the lack of knowledge there is to them. The same rings true for the video game industry. It has only been a short time since children began growing up with them. Those that did are adults and little is known about their long-term effects. Even less is known about the effects of this new era with highly immersive, often violent video games in which kids, especially teens, are clocking in excessive hours of playtime each day.

Donna sits down with Dr. Thomas Osika to discuss the effects of excessive video gaming on the social development of children, more specifically, teenage boys. What may seem like an innocuous hobby, is quickly consuming children and their upbringing.

Dr. Osika is licensed in the state of New York and can be reached at:
https://www.ospsychservices.com/home.html

Hey listeners,

we're coming up on completing our first year anniversary, so we want to continue growing and connecting. We're asking all our listeners to connect with us on social media to demonstrate their support. Give us a hello on any comments and we'll happily give shoutouts! We'd also love to highlight questions or comments from fans to say thanks! Keep following the sunshine!

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It cuts across economic status, it affects all age groups, and it touches so many lives. . . It is suicide. It is such a heavy discussion, yet such a dire one. Brave spaces are needed for brave people to talk, to reach out, to de-stigmatize.

September is Suicide Prevention Month, so Donna sat down with a local leader making a large impact with small efforts, Katie Booth. Katie is the Operations Manager at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) for Sarasota and Manatee counties in Florida. She oversees the You Are Not Alone (YANA) wellness drop-in center where community members in need come in for resources like housing assistance, mental healthcare resources, and substance treatment, among other services, all for FREE. Why is this local effort so impactful? Because suicide has many causes, including housing instability, substance abuse, and lack of mental health treatment. The simplest intervention can be the difference between hope and hopelessness, between deciding to persevere or succumb to societal hardships.

If you or someone you know is struggling with the thought of suicide, reach out and connect because you matter. Simply dial and call 988 for the suicide & crisis Lifeline.

You may also visit the NAMI website for additional resources at
https://www.nami.org/

To visit the Florida chapter and connect with local efforts visit https://namisarasotamanatee.org/

Hey listeners,

we're coming up on completing our first year anniversary, so we want to continue growing and connecting. We're asking all our listeners to connect with us on social media to demonstrate their support. Give us a hello on any comments and we'll happily give shoutouts! We'd also love to highlight questions or comments from fans to say thanks! Keep following the sunshine!

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Have you heard of Pig Butchering Scams? Long gone are the days of "Nigerian Princes" seeking our bank info to park their money in exchange for a monetary gift for us. Online scams have become far more sophisticated today, from copycat websites to simple clicks of a random link received via text or email. Senior citizens are among the more vulnerable because of the fast speed of online/technological developments.

In this episode, Donna sits down with Bryce Kuo, an up-and-coming professional in the field of cybersecurity. He is currently an intern on the IT team at Pioneer Bank. He discusses with Donna some of the various meticulous and discreet online scams on the rise that often result in identity and financial theft, with Seniors being among the primary victims. Listen in for simple and practical ways to protect yourself or loved ones from such threats.

Hey listeners,

we're coming up on completing our first year anniversary, so we want to continue growing and connecting. We're asking all our listeners to connect with us on social media to demonstrate their support. Give us a hello on any comments and we'll happily give shoutouts! We'd also love to highlight questions or comments from fans to say thanks! Keep following the sunshine!

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WARNING: Laughter and Joy are contagious in this episode! Donna sits down with one of America's favorite families — The Donnellys! No, seriously. What started as a humble attempt to showcase a daughter's gymnastic prowess on YouTube quickly became a wildly successful channel with over 390 million views and counting! They don't pretend to be perfect, but their journey over the years of aspiring to be a healthy, wholehearted, and humble family has captured the hearts of many. In this episode, Mike and Jill Donnelly talk about how they have grappled over the years to establish themselves as a family with a deep-rooted culture of love, playfulness, and gratitude with their kiddos (From oldest to youngest) Brennan, Katie, and Ryan.

Because they established themselves online, they have since used their spotlight to create conversation on exercising various important virtues regarding family mental health and values so that their audience may learn and grow alongside them as well as teach them in reciprocity.

Mike and Jill will soon be empty nesters, but their channel has served as a platform (or launching pad) for their kids to take on the world and document it while doing so. The family may be entering a new phase, but the journey continues. Listen in for good laughs from reflections on raising kids into young adults.

Check out the Donnellys on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@itsthedonnellys
https://www.youtube.com/@itsthedonnellys/store

And Instagram!
https://www.instagram.com/itsthedonnellysofficial/

Connect further with the Donnellys:
https://www.patreon.com/itsthedonnellys

Hey listeners,

we're coming up on completing our first year anniversary, so we want to continue growing and connecting. We're asking all our listeners to connect with us on social media to demonstrate their support. Give us a hello on any comments and we'll happily give shoutouts! We'd also love to highlight questions or comments from fans to say thanks! Keep following the sunshine!

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Donna wanted to do something special on the Brighten Up Pod for April, the month internationally recognized as Autism Acceptance Month. The topic is near and dear to her, so she wanted to provide greater insight, inspiration, and hope for families affected by it and all who wish to know more about the world of autism.

In this episode, Donna sits down with Lora Carpenter and her daughter, Loryn Carpenter. Lora is the Executive Director of Beyond the Spectrum (BTS), a facility that provides care for students with developmental disorders from ages 5-22. Her son, Scott, developed Regressive Autism at 18 months, so she was propelled into a life of compassionate service after having lived in the world of Autism herself. Loryn is the Communications Specialist at BTS. She too, was affected by becoming an advocate for her older brother Scott early on in her life. She has also become the host of the facility's podcast, the Helping Families Go Beyond Podcast, in hopes of providing families with additional resources in a convenient and inviting format.

Beyond The Spectrum is based in Sarasota, Florida. It is on the cutting edge of psychiatric treatment: it serves both as an accredited education center as well as a therapeutic clinic specializing in care for children with Autism, Down Syndrome, ADHD, and other related developmental disorders. Their objective is to work with students and their families to provide actionable goals with individualized care and judgment-free services that bring everyone closer towards fulfilling lives.

For more info, visit:
https://www.beyondthespectrum.org/

For additional resources, follow BTS at:
https://www.instagram.com/beyondthespectrumfl

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we're coming up on completing our first year anniversary, so we want to continue growing and connecting. We're asking all our listeners to connect with us on social media to demonstrate their support. Give us a hello on any comments and we'll happily give shoutouts! We'd also love to highlight questions or comments from fans to say thanks! Keep following the sunshine!

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Neurodiversity means "Our society benefits from multiple different neurotypes in various ways", says Dr. Stacy Greeter, Brighten Up's guest in this month's episode. As part of Autism Acceptance Month in April, Donna has a compelling conversation with Dr. Greeter, discussing various components of autism and neurodiversity. The primary focus is on the dilemma of females going undiagnosed with autism, often missing out on important resources and interventions, however, many other facets of neurodiversity are touched upon and explained by Dr. Greeter. She also shares with us her journey in being diagnosed herself as an adult. As conversation on the matter becomes more pressing and ubiquitous, it is quickly becoming all the more important for families to equip themselves with knowledge.

Stacy Greeter, MD, is board certified in both psychiatry for children as well as adults. She graduated summa cum laude from Duke University where she was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society and received her Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Greeter conducted extensive clinical research funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute on autism and OCD. She completed both her adult studies and her child and adolescent subspecialty training at Northwestern University in Chicago, where she trained with nationally and internationally renowned psychiatrists. She currently has her own private practice based in Sarasota, Florida, where she works with children, adults, and families, in addition to clients diagnosed with autism. She has been bringing greater life to her passion for psychiatry by advocating for the Autism community through online educational content and collaborations.

To connect with Stacy, you may reach her through her website:
https://www.stacygreetermd.com/

Hey listeners,

we're coming up on completing our first year anniversary, so we want to continue growing and connecting. We're asking all our listeners to connect with us on social media to demonstrate their support. Give us a hello on any comments and we'll happily give shoutouts! We'd also love to highlight questions or comments from fans to say thanks! Keep following the sunshine!

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