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What does it take to raise a child with multiple rare genetic conditions while fighting systems that constantly underestimate what your child needs?

In this episode of Let’s Plant Houses, Bill Cushing shares his family’s journey raising his son Gabriel, who was born with rare genetic disorders, developmental disabilities, strokes before birth, and physical challenges that required years of therapy and support. This conversation explores disability parenting, caregiving, medical advocacy, accessibility, and life after aging out of the school system. Bill opens up about adapting their home, navigating insurance battles, planning for Gabriel’s future, and learning how to push back when systems say no.

But this story is also about joy, resilience, and seeing the whole person beyond a diagnosis. Bill shares Gabriel’s love of music, art museums, the symphony, and volunteering in the community. It’s a powerful reminder that caregiving requires creativity, persistence, and a willingness to keep showing up, even when the path forward is uncertain.

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What happens when a sibling grows up in a home filled with foster children, routines, and nonstop caregiving, and then realizes those experiences shaped who they were meant to become?

In this episode of Let’s Plant Houses, Rachel Gonyea shares what it was like growing up with a brother with autism while her family welcomed nearly 200 foster children into their home over the years. This conversation explores autism, foster care, caregiving, developmental disabilities, inclusion, sibling experiences, and the real-life challenges families navigate every day. Rachel opens up about routines, bullying, emotional overload, and the invisible work that happens inside families trying to meet many different needs at once.

But this story is also full of hope. Rachel reflects on how caregiving shaped her compassion, patience, and sense of purpose. She shares why lived experience matters, why children need support that truly works, and how her family’s journey inspired her to help foster children and people with disabilities in the future.

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What if your child had thoughts, opinions, and intelligence far beyond what the world believed, but no reliable way to communicate them?

In this episode of Let’s Plant Houses, Heather Burroughs shares her family’s journey through autism, rare genetic disorders, non-speaking communication, service dogs, and disability advocacy. Heather is the Director of Advocacy and Education at AutismUp and co-founder of the Finding Common Ground podcast. She opens up about raising multiple neurodivergent children, fighting for her daughter Devyn’s rights in school, and why families often have to push systems to see what their children are truly capable of.

Heather also shares how spelling to communicate changed her understanding of her daughter’s inner world and why she is now fighting for the Communication Bill of Rights in New York. This conversation is a powerful reminder that lived experience is real expertise and that families should never stop believing in their child’s potential.

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How did one foster dad build an autism barn and help nearly 180 children find belonging?

In this episode of autism advocacy, foster care, caregiving, and disability support, Steve Gonyea shows what families can build when they lead with love, trust, and lived experience. From welcoming nearly 180 foster children into his home to creating an autism barn and launching the Ability Bus program, Steve shares how his family turned their challenges into real solutions for many families.

This episode is a powerful reminder that caregivers are experts too, and that one family’s vision can spark a growing movement that is changing lives far beyond their own community. And for Steve Gonyea, with even bigger plans for the future, this is only the beginning.

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What happens when fatherhood asks you to put your career on hold and trust that your family will find a way forward?

In this episode about caregiving, disability, and fatherhood, Kirby Rabalais shares how raising a child with a rare genetic condition reshaped his priorities and his purpose. Families living with neurodivergence often carry invisible work every single day. Kirby reminds us that real life is more complex than most systems recognize, and that support must be practical, flexible, and human.

Kirby opens up about stepping back from his career to become his son’s primary caregiver, and how that season changed his life in the best way. From that experience, he founded Got4titude, a support community for fathers raising children with disabilities. His story shows that when families share what they are living, new ideas grow, new support takes shape, and meaningful change becomes possible.

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What happens when you know something is wrong, but the system keeps telling you to wait?

In this episode, author Randi-Lee Bowlaugh shares her journey through autism, parenting, and mental health as she searched for answers for her daughter. From early concerns to years of missed support, her story shows how families often live in the gap between what they know and what systems are ready to provide.

Randi-Lee speaks honestly about trusting her instincts, changing doctors, and continuing to ask questions until someone finally listened. She reminds us that parents and caregivers are not just participants in the system. They are problem solvers and leaders who keep going, even when the path is long.

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How do you hold on to hope when your child seems lost?

Autism, profound autism, parenting, and support are at the heart of this honest conversation with Jillian Simpson-Eisloeffel, Founder of Bobby’s World and Regional Lead for the New York Alliance for Developmental Disabilities. She shares what life looks like when a child has complex needs and when families must step in to create safety and stability at home. Her story helps us see the daily work that often goes unseen.

In this episode, Jillian talks about sleepless nights, constant vigilance, and the courage to keep searching for answers when nothing seemed to help. After pushing for deeper medical understanding, she has now begun to see small but powerful glimpses of her son again. Her journey shows how parents become problem solvers when systems fall short, and how persistence can open doors to new possibilities.

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What happens when a parent discovers their child—and themselves—share the same diagnosis?

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