Live with Tanner Smith - The Pain That Gave Me Purpose
In this deeply inspiring episode of The Recovery Vow Podcast… Eric sits down with Tanner Smith (@tannerwiththetism) and his parents, Nicci and Mark, a family whose journey through autism, faith, and resilience has transformed not just their lives, but thousands of others. What began as fear, uncertainty, and a life-altering diagnosis turned into a story of purpose, growth, and unexpected impact. Tanner shares his journey from early struggles with communication to becoming a confident, independent young man traveling the world, meeting celebrities, and inspiring audiences everywhere. But behind the spotlight is a family that fought through years of confusion, emotional breakdowns, and relentless effort just to reach a place many take for granted. Mark and Nicci open up about the moment everything changed, the diagnosis that shattered their expectations, the financial and emotional weight that followed, and the silent battles they faced as parents trying to do everything right. From therapy sessions at the kitchen table to redefining their marriage and roles, their story is raw, real, and filled with moments that will truly inspire. On This Episode:
The life-changing autism diagnosis that reshaped an entire family
The emotional reality of parenting through uncertainty and fear
How Tanner went from limited communication to global impact
The truth about marriage under pressure and staying as a team
Why purpose matters more than “fixing” the problem
The unseen struggles families with autism face, and why they need support
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round. Okay.
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58 seconds
Welcome Tanner Smith, his mom and dad Nikki and Mark Smith.
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Yeah, it's me. Me. I know it's you, man. Yes, it's me. It's me. I know. It's me.
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Look at these people that come to see you.
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Yes. Yes. Hey, everybody. Hey, everybody. Hey. Hey. Hey. Yes, sir. Have a seat right here, man. This is going to be your microphone.
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Okay. Yes, sir.
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And Tanner, I got you a water right here. Thank you. Thank you.
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Mark, I feel like you're you're in another zip code over there. You want to get closer? I can be right here if you need me here. Whatever you want to get, buddy. Yeah, you feel really far away.
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Now, listen. I told you guys this is a podcast. This is the first time we've ever done a a live podcast on this stage. So, we are This is not um
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recorded and on on ABC or anything right now. So, if we mess up, just go with it.
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Don't judge me. Don't judge us. We're just here to have a good time, right, Tanner?
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Yes, sir. We're just here here to have a good time.
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Now, listen, I got a bunch of questions, but we're going to just start off with just a few from this past year in 2025. Okay.
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Yes, sir. So tell me when you see a video like that, what was some of the favorite things that happened in 2025?
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Mingj Black and it's it's the Emmys.
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Do you want to talk about the Emmys or Netflix summer break? Oh, the Netflix summer break.
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And and winning the Netflix summer break. Hawaii. You went to Hawaii? Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Me and my mom and Connor
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and his brother Jack and their mom went and we had the best time ever.
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That's awesome. I met Connor last week in Atlanta.
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That's good. That's good. He's my six best friend. He is such a nice guy. He's nice. Yes, he is. He's really fun, too.
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So, you mentioned Hawaii and you mentioned the Grammys. Yes, sir.
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What was one more thing in 2025 that you can maybe think of? Summer. Oh, Netflix Summer Break. What did you present?
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An Emmy. An Emmy. Who won that Emmy? Me. No, you present. I mean, I presented it. You presented it.
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It was a traders. Oh, it was a Traers.
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That's good. You did. You're doing good, Tanner. I promise. Dancing with the Stars.
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And Dancing with the Stars. I met Robert Irwin and Andy Richard and Ela Hendrickx. Another Mark, and another Connor.
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Robert. He's kind of a good dancer, isn't he? Yeah. Oh, yes. I love him. Yeah. He's handsome. He is handsome. Is he as handsome as me? I mean, well, he you're all handsome.
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Okay. Okay. Hey. Hey, Tanner.
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Sir, who sang Happy Birthday to you? Um, let's see. Um, you did that. What singer? At the at the CMS.
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Let's see. Who? Lean Rimes. Lean. Lean Rimes. Yeah. Yes. Who did you meet at? Oh, Ariana Grande.
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Ariana Grande.
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Arian Grande. Yes. Do you know that Leanne Rhymes stayed in my house one year at Mast's Week?
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That's so I didn't know that. That's so cool. That is cool. It was cool. Hey, listen.
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You know, there's a funny story that your dad told me um when we talked on the phone back when it was supposed to snow. He told me that they call you Tank.
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Yes, sir. Tell me why they call you Tank.
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Because one of our friends from Mr. Joe gave me the nickname Tank. Because when I was born, I was a big baby. I was a
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fat baby. I was feel like a tank. That's why. That's why.
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Yeah. What What What does a fat baby look like? Do you know? Do you remember how much you weighed? Your mom told me. Are you asking how much did I weigh? No, not right now.
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When you were born, did your mom said you weighed like 22 lbs? Not when you were born, but maybe at 6 months. At 6 months.
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6 months. Okay. That's a chunky baby, Tanner. Yes.
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I can see where the name tank comes from.
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Yeah. Yeah. I know you can. I know you can.
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So, listen. When we talk about these things, sir, I just want you to know I'm so proud of you. Yeah. I'm so proud of me, too. Are you?
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Yeah. Yeah. When you when you go on events like this and you see crowds like this, does it make you nervous?
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No, sir. No, sir. It doesn't make me nervous.
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And your mom, she goes on a lot of trips with you, doesn't she? Yes, she does. Yes, she does.
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Now, when I look at your Instagram, you've got some other folks that go with you, too. Is it MIJ? Yes, sir. It's MIJ. I love MIJ. Me, too.
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Tell me a little bit about your sister, MIJ.
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So, Mitch is she's my favorite sibling, and me get along good. And sometimes I like it when just me and her go on on some trips. And and then you have an older sister.
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Yeah. Her name is Taylor.
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And she has a baby named Chief. Chief.
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His full name is Calhoun. We call him Chief for short because his initials are CO. His full name is Cahoun. Ellis Owens. I love it. I love it, too.
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Um Nikki and Mark, whenever you guys hear Tanner and I having these conversations, what what's just some things that are going through your mind right now?
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You want to take it?
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I'm holding back tears a little bit. You know, you know this, right?
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I want you to cry, Mark. No, I'm not going to I will not cry, but but no, I'm it. I'm I'm I'm very proud of him. And I you know, from where he started, this is
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this is a an completely different little boy that was running up and down my stairs, banging into the walls at three years old.
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I I'll never forget that.
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Yeah, I do remember that. Oh, you did.
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Go ahead. No, it's it's it's it's an incredibly full circle moment and I mean nothing short but just an example of God's grace and faithfulness from you
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know wondering if we would ever be able to have a you know a full conversation with another person because that was pretty much where therapy started across
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the table like the the first command we learned was look at me and then we started with you know very simple verbal exchanges so to be here is pretty miraculous.
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Yeah that's incredible. I've got a question I want to read you Tanner. Sure.
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What's something special you want the world to know about you and all the people with autism?
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Okay, I want the people to know about me that I'm very sensitive and I feel things very deeply. I'm figuring I'm working on fig on figuring things out
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for myself cuz I'm not I'm not on ding right now.
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That's good. It's okay for you right now time for me. Was that a good part that I'm not on ding right now?
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That's totally great. It's your decision.
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That's right. It's my decision. I did good with that one, didn't I? You did amazing. Tanner, what is something you think people should know about young adults that have autism?
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I mean, you mean young adults that have autism? All of them, not just you.
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So, people should know um that young people with autism sometimes um they need some time and they they need you to
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be patient with them and um let's see and and they need purpose.
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That's a good word, Tanner. A lot of times we all just get too fast, you know, and we just need to slow down and remember everybody has purpose.
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I've had misunderstandings with two people with autism named Josh and Cameron. Yeah, Donna knows Cameron. Yeah.
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Yeah. He It's a boy Cameron. He works at the Shepherd Hotel, too. He's one of my best friends now. Is he? That's good. It's good to have friends. He's handsome, just like us.
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Really? Is he bald like me?
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No, because Cameron, he's 28 now. He's 28 now. He's had his birthday. Cameron just had his birthday. Did he? Good. His birthday's in February. I got another question for you. Yes.
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Okay, sir.
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Do you think you are more confident since being on Love on the Spectrum? So, sorry. Wait.
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Do you think that you are more confident since being on Love on the Spectrum? Yeah.
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Yes, sir. I think I'm more confident since I was on Love on Spectrum.
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What is your favorite part about being around new people or meeting new people?
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Well, I I meet new people because my favorite part is making new friends.
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Yeah. Oh, also I remember when we went to Thailand, me Taylor Mitch to rescue elephants. When we were in the airport, a fan just walked up to me. I got
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stopped by a fan. His name was Andre and he's very handsome.
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And this was where at the airport um when we we were in to go to Thailand when I got stopped by Andre.
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Can you show people how do you greet people in Thailand? Can you stand up and show them? Yes, I can. Stand up. Yep. Stand up and show them. Hey, how are you, sir?
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I'm good, sir. Thank you. Good job. Yes. Yes. Very good. You did great.
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I did do great. I did do great.
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Listen, I want to I want to talk to Nikki and Mark for a minute because I want to talk about you. Yes, sir.
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And there's an importance that I want um the people that are either in the room now or the people that will watch this podcast months from now when it comes
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out. But one of the reasons I asked your family to come here was to talk about the different kinds of recovery. I'm so
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glad. So Mark and Nikki, um, okay, let's hear your story. Mark, tell us how long ago did you and and and Nikki meet?
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Because this is an opportunity for 35 years ago. 35 years ago. No, it's been it's been it's been almost 35 great
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years. And you guys have been married for 30 33 years.
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33 years. In that time you you were a pharmacist.
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I was I was a pharmacist and what else am I tanner? What else have I been? And and and you're a farmer and a pilot.
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I'm a farmer. Yep. Yep. So that's what I I'm a farmer and a pharmacist. Yes, sir. So Yep. I think you still are.
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He is. Can you guys give us a peek inside of what your marriage has been like over those those last 30some years
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and then thinking through it when you had the diagnosis of autism? How did that shape your time then your marriage
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and and where are you now with it? How do you guys work as a team?
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That that's that's a big question and that's that's a there's a lot of aspects to that. I mean
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I think for any married couple when you When you have a baby, I mean, the last thing you're expecting is to get any
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sort of diagnosis that's unexpected. And you know, with autism, it's normally a later onset, which that was the case for us. We had absolutely no idea that
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anything was going on until Tanner was about two and a half. And then we actually got the diagnosis at four back. This was in right around the year 2000.
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So at that time, it was a very different diagnostic process than it is today. you had to have a team at least three entities agreeing on diagnosis. So, we
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had about a two-year process of testing and different clinicians and just all kinds of different channels we had to go
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through to even get the diagnosis. And again, I think it's it's really hard now to picture what that was like because the internet was not a thing. It was
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just beginning. You know, we had dialup internet, but you didn't just run to your smartphone and look up information.
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I had only heard the word autism from the movie Rainman to be honest. That was literally the only context of I know you do.
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Yeah, you do.
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That was the only context of autism that we really had. So, we really didn't know what we were dealing with. So, it was sort of it was one of those times in
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your life where you think you know what your road is going to be and you have all these plans and dreams and thoughts in your head and it's just snatched. all
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of them are just taken and your future is completely different than what you thought it was going to be and all of a sudden you're handed the set of
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circumstances that you're responsible for. So for us at the time of diagnosis we're probably about 29 and 34. I would
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probably right around the time Meline was born and um that was when we were realizing and beginning the diagnostic
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process. So, I think for us, I I'll tell you what I felt like at diagnosis. Here's what diagnosis.
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We had just built our beautiful home and we had just moved in our house and everything was great.
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And we noticed we noticed that something was not right. And I'll never forget I can't remember what I what I ate last week, but I can remember like yesterday.
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I remember Miss Dr. Sue came in our house. Not Dr. Seuss because it because it wasn't funny, but we love him. He did die.
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But Dr. Sue came in our home one afternoon, spent a few hours with Tana and she made the diagnosis right there in our playroom.
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She did it at the house.
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She did it at the house, but she was one of several. She was kind of But but this was my first as a as a dad, as a and a husband. This was my first introduction to it.
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And she diagnosed him. And we were devastated. And she handed me a bill for $750.
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And I'm not sugar coating this. I'm just I'm being real. $750.
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And she said, "Guys," and you you tell me if I'm missing this. She says, "Guys, what he needs to have to do the best
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that he can do, the best outcome that he can have is to have ABA therapy and have someone in his face every day." And she
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said, "Sadly, the only people that can have this done
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are mom and dad are either both doctors or lawyers." And is that not what she told us?
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Yep, she did. And I was like, "Okay, we are a farmer." Um, and you know, for me,
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Eric, that put the chip on my shoulder that's been there forever. It it it it
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put the fight in me right there. I said, "You know what? I can't let my son down.
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I can't let my wife down. We got to make this happen." And we did. And we did.
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And so that was it. It almost changed my mental I became that that what do you call it? the eight. I'm a eight. What's theagram? You're talking about ingram.
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I'm the eight. It made me the eight. It said you got to go get it for your wife and for your son. So that was my first
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that was my very first recollection of autism right there that day.
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Yeah. It was very I mean back and I mean like I said this is around the year 2000 2001 there was so much emphasis on early
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intervention. early intervention and and as a parent, all you're hearing is you need to jump on this immediately. You need to start intensive services
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immediately. You need to provide all these different therapies and they're throwing occupational therapy at you, speech therapy at you, applied behavioral analysis, which is ABA. We
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didn't know what any of those things were. I had no idea. But they're looking at you like, "Okay, mom, what do you want to do?" I'm like, "I don't know.
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You just told me something's not right with my baby. What What do you mean?" and I had, you know, a four-year-old daughter and a baby daughter and Tanner and we were building a house and we're
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young and all of a sudden I'm being asked to be an expert on something I know nothing about with the person I love the most that I want nothing but
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the absolute best for. And so I think we both kind of went into sort of like a mental shutdown like and we're both we
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are both very productivity oriented people. were both very driven people and we just kind of figured out really quickly that it was going to be better
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for me to man the home and the therapy program and be the facilitator of all of that and it was going to be better for Mark to take the financial reigns and
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cover that part of it. And in saying that, anyone who's listening who is not who did not get their diagnosis with a dedicated partner, mad respect and kudos
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to anyone, whether it's a father or a mother that goes through this alone because I cannot imagine I cannot fathom trying to do this as a single parent.
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And I know several people who have done it. So, I can't say enough about how thankful I am to have had a motivated, faithful, dedicated partner who rose to
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the challenge and did everything he could to provide for us and give Tanner every possible chance to be his best.
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So, that's incredible. And, you know, if you're listening out there and you know a young, you know, a young single parent who has a child, any disability, doesn't
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have to be autism, that is a person who needs support. That is and what they need. They need someone to come in and give them a break, take their child for
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them, listen to them, help them facilitate therapies, getting to sports programs, getting to special interest
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things because that is hard. It's hard with any child as a single parent, but then you add in special needs. And those are the people in our community right now that we really need to be lifting up
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because it is a tall order to navigate those early years when you've got one that has differences.
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And you you said your older kids were how old at the time? How old was Mij?
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Taylor that the first the first three are all two years apart. So at the time that um around the time when we started the diagnostic process, Taylor would
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have been four, Tanner was four or five, Tanner was two or three, and MIJ was a baby. Oh, okay. And there was no Maverick yet.
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The marriage part. Tell me how you guys met, Mark.
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Um well, I was attracted to Nikki. It was because of her Menite background.
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Nikki grew up in a Menite church and I said, "Oh, this is just I gota I got to this is this is the one for me." So that's that's really what attracted me to her.
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Are you serious? Would you stop? You're a Menite. I didn't know that.
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No, I really did grow up in a Menite church. That had nothing to do with why he was attracted to me.
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Oh, I thought you were to me because I was trying to not be a Menite.
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And I'm going to finish by saying when she Here's the Menite. Nikki did one of these and it was the cleavage and the minikrt and I said, "Got it.
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There it is.
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Bingo." And so it's been great ever since. So listen, the mar the marriage has been great.
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The marriage is fantastic. Yeah.
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Not one day have have either one of us I don't think I have not. I don't know.
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Have neither one of us have wanted to tuck tail and run.
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No. We have been in the fight and at the end of the day we know we are a team and we love each other. And listen and and
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I'm I'm not telling you this. I'm telling your audience this. I'm not telling this because Nikki is sitting because she already knows this. The real
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deal is is that she knows that when when when we're around people, she's the most beautiful person in the room to me. So
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that right there, you know, we we got through it all. We we did it all. We we we we hunkered down. And listen, it were there were long days and
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it you know there was some there were long years there were some long there were some words that we had to say I'm sorry I said that a lot of that but but never it was
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always good at the end of the day we were always you know we were we were very blessed and we were blessed with incredible friends and a
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few of them are sitting right over there who pulled us through some of like our hardest darkest moments. We had an incredible pastor. He's sitting over
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there. And his wife who said some things at pivotal times in our life that
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changed the way I was perceiving everything that changed the state of my heart. We had some really amazing
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friends who spoke into us and supported us and held us up when we couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. And
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I think you know for younger family I mean that that's my heart now being so blessed and having had such an
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incredibly full circle story is for the parents who are standing at the bottom of the mountain now because I know how I felt back in 2001. I felt so alone. I
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felt so isolated. I felt so just tragically sad and disappointed but at
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the same time like fiercely driven to figure out the the way to get the best possible outcome. It was this weird mix
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of feeling despondent and also feeling like this mad drive like at the same time you're feeling these two conflicting emotions. And if we had not
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had the support of like faithful, you know, spiritual mentor friends and incredible family on both sides, Mark Mark's parents who live right next door
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to us are salt of the earth people. They have modeled an incredible strong stable marriage of probably 60 plus years. They
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are wonderful people. My parents are wonderful people. They were much further away geographically, but they were very supportive. But you know what I would
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say to a younger family, and I mean I feel like that's sort of like what we're supposed to be doing now is pouring into younger families.
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We we have lived it. We made it. We are very blessed. Our story turned out beautifully, but it is a hard road. It
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is a much all All of parenting is a tall mountain, but this is a steeper one. It it is. I don't care what special need it is. It is a harder road because I have
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typical children too and I know and I would say to any young couple with a new diagnosis.
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Take a minute, take a deep breath and I wish I had done this because I am very I was very guilty at the time. It is not your spouse's job to fix this for you.
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It is not your spouse's job to fix it for the child. It is y'all's job to realize that God entrusted you with this
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kid the way this kid is made for a reason. And he is going to write a story through you. And he is going to grow you
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and humble you and give you the tools as you go along. And that is the most incredibly hard thing for two
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22 minutes
hard-headed control freaks like ourselves. And it took a good strong decade and a half to even get close to being in a decent headsp space about it.
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22 minutes, 9 seconds
I mean, being totally raw, it was difficult to be accepting of anything other than a complete healing, for lack
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22 minutes, 16 seconds
of a better word. But as we've gone through the years and as we have watched this miracle play out, I've realized
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22 minutes, 23 seconds
that was never the point. It was never the point for autism to be overcome. It would the point was for us to understand
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22 minutes, 31 seconds
that God was using autism to write a bigger story and that we would never we wouldn't have this story without the weakness.
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22 minutes, 39 seconds
You know, if that makes sense. There would be no strong story without having lived through the weakness. And so many people are involved in building that
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22 minutes, 47 seconds
strength. I mean, the family, the friends, us as a couple, our other three children deserve an incredible amount of
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22 minutes, 54 seconds
credit because they have been absolute rocks as siblings all the way through from the time they were little children.
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23 minutes, 1 second
They have been team players and they have sacrificed a lot.
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23 minutes, 4 seconds
They have sacrificed a lot. They sacrificed a lot of time, a lot of attention, a lot. They have been incredibly gracious about giving the
23:12
23 minutes, 12 seconds
spotlight over long before Love on the Spectrum days, just his whole life. And it's been a beautiful thing to watch how it has shaped their character as they
23:20
23 minutes, 20 seconds
have grown up. So, you know, there's so many facets to special needs parenting and and it is a road. And, you know, I think you really do as a couple have to
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23 minutes, 29 seconds
just realize we both have to like heal as individuals. We have to heal as a couple and we have to redefine ourselves now as
23:37
23 minutes, 37 seconds
a couple. And you have to redefine your family. I mean, I can remember several times sitting the other three down and saying, "Listen, this is the hand we are
23:45
23 minutes, 45 seconds
dealt and we are we are a team. All five of us are supporting and we're going to we're going to we're going to win this race. It's going to be a long one, but
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23 minutes, 54 seconds
we're going to do it and you guys are on this team and so everybody is going to have to understand that this is this is our life and this is what we're we're dealing with and we're going to play it
24:02
24 minutes, 2 seconds
well." And we were always like brutally honest with the other three, too. We're like, "Listen, you're probably not going to get as much attention as you need
24:10
24 minutes, 10 seconds
because there's no way I can give equal attention at all, you know, to everyone at all times. There's four of you and one of me." They spent a lot of daddy time, too.
24:16
24 minutes, 16 seconds
They spent a lot of daddy time. They did. They did. It was not always an equal division of attention.
24:22
24 minutes, 22 seconds
When we were at dinner earlier, one thing that you said that stuck out is that when I was telling you why I do this podcast, it was, you know, certain types of trauma, and I believe that everybody's in some kind of recovery.
24:32
24 minutes, 32 seconds
You you brought up the word trauma before I even had a chance to say it.
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24 minutes, 35 seconds
This explain that. Explain. Um, and maybe you just did to an extent, but
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24 minutes, 43 seconds
do you still feel like you're in trauma even with the way life is now? No.
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24 minutes, 47 seconds
Okay, I'm I'm going to tell a story on Arty Davis just because he's here.
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24 minutes, 51 seconds
I Arty, I don't even know if you know this. Arty, raise your hand. I don't mean to embarrass you. Okay, so Arty is a dear friend and he was our pastor for
24:58
24 minutes, 58 seconds
many, many years in Orangeburg. And I can remember one year, you remember when you ran cross country in high school,
25:06
25 minutes, 6 seconds
Tanner was running cross country and it was an unex and tremendous unexpected blessing in our life. Never a sport we thought he'd participate in, but it
25:14
25 minutes, 14 seconds
ended up being the perfect answer for an extracurricular activity that suited his needs.
25:20
25 minutes, 20 seconds
I was his kind of assistant coach and I was helping with the running and I was going through a little season of sadness
25:26
25 minutes, 26 seconds
and frustration with our whole scenario and I wasn't real happy with the way practices were going and I had it in my mind one day that I was going to say it.
25:36
25 minutes, 36 seconds
I was going to fuss and I was going to say we got to do better. You need to try harder. Blah blah. You know, all the things. Frustrated mom. I was kind of at
25:44
25 minutes, 44 seconds
the end of my rope. And I'll never forget, there's a verse in Romans that already preached a sermon on one Sunday, and I'm forgetting the exact reference
25:51
25 minutes, 51 seconds
right now, but the verse says, "All who trust in him will not be disappointed." You remember that? You preached that on
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25 minutes, 59 seconds
a Sunday. Okay. So, you preach that on a Sunday. And I had been frustrated with the times we were putting up. We had a
26:07
26 minutes, 7 seconds
practice on Monday. And that that that sermon and that verse resonated in my head. And it just sort of calmed my
26:14
26 minutes, 14 seconds
spirit. And I thought, you know, I don't need to express disappointment or frustration. I just need to be a consistent parent and coach and just
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26 minutes, 22 seconds
keep being encouraging. So the sermon is preached on Sunday, practice on Monday.
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26 minutes, 27 seconds
All of a sudden, we ran like three minutes faster. And then practice on Wednesday, we knocked like another 30 seconds off. Much better effort without
26:36
26 minutes, 36 seconds
me really saying anything. And all I did when we got in the car was like, "Oh, good job. That was a great practice. You did so great." So the next meet comes
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26 minutes, 44 seconds
around, which is like a week and a half later. This is not a lot of time in running terms. You know, you don't normally make big jumps like that.
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26 minutes, 52 seconds
Tanner had a partner, an amazing young kid named Julian. He came up to me before the race and I was kind of giving him a little, you know, just a little
26:59
26 minutes, 59 seconds
encouragement. And I was like, "Now, Julian, you know, I I know it's going to be slower than you could run, but I really appreciate you partnering partnering and, you know, just do your
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27 minutes, 7 seconds
best." And I kind of threw out a time at him that I thought would be a great goal. And he looked at me like I was crazy. And he said, um, he said, "Oh,
27:14
27 minutes, 14 seconds
Miss Smith, we're going to do much better than that." And I was like, "Okay, I didn't." I was like, "No, you're not, but okay, go ahead." So, they start running and Mark and I were
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27 minutes, 23 seconds
following along the track and you can go watch cross country meets at different points and they kept showing up at each checkpoint, like so much earlier than I
27:32
27 minutes, 32 seconds
was expecting them. And Julian was a pretty accomplished runner. And there's Tank just matching him stride for stride. I mean, they're just running. He
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27 minutes, 40 seconds
looks comfortable. He's not even breathing that hard. And y'all, when they came down that finish line, it made me cry. I heard that verse in my head.
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27 minutes, 48 seconds
Don't be disappointed in him. Do not be disappointed. He's trying. They came across that finish line 9 minutes faster
27:57
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than the previous race. Nine minutes in a three in a 5K is insane. Is insane.
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28 minutes, 2 seconds
And like a twoe jump. And I remember that voice and that verse just rang through my head as I watched them come flying by me. And I was like, I was
28:11
28 minutes, 11 seconds
going to fuss at him and I was going to get frustrated and try to control it and try to, you know, make it what I wanted it to be. But I just kind of shut up and
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28 minutes, 21 seconds
just supported and just let somebody else kind of coach him. And we had this phenomenal gain. And I don't know why, but that has always I have I have the
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28 minutes, 29 seconds
picture of him and Julian coming down the home stretch and I have this picture of them high-fiving. And I still every year on Julian's birthday on Facebook, I always reach out to him and send him the
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28 minutes, 38 seconds
picture. And I'm like, "Do you remember this day?" And it stuck out to me that like if I'm truly going to be the mother that I need to be, I cannot be operating
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28 minutes, 47 seconds
from a place of disappointment. I cannot be operating from a place of frustration, I have to be operating from a place of trust and peace. That God
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28 minutes, 55 seconds
knows exactly what he's doing. And he has a purpose and he creates us all exactly as we're supposed to be. And there's a reason that we all show up as
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29 minutes, 2 seconds
we do. and you have got to let him have it. So, thank you Arty.
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29 minutes, 6 seconds
That's really good. And and you gotta just let let him run his race. We all need You got to let people run their race. You do.
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29 minutes, 13 seconds
And because one thing that you've explained and I think what we all have seen on on Instagram and different social medias is that Tanner is very independent.
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29 minutes, 23 seconds
I am independent. Are you? Yes, you are. Yes. Yes, I am. Yes, I am.
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29 minutes, 26 seconds
Tanner, you you live you have your own apartment. My apartment. You went to Clemson. You have a job.
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29 minutes, 32 seconds
You you do so good at everything like that. Oh, thank you, Miss Eric.
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29 minutes, 37 seconds
That was your mama. She reminded you to do that. Yeah.
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29 minutes, 40 seconds
But I'm I just want you to know that that's that's very important. You do that really well. Yes, it is.
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29 minutes, 45 seconds
Yeah. Miss Nikki, uh one time when we talked before, I asked you if it was okay if if you shared this, but you
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you've gone through this. You you and you and Mark, you know, you you've built this relationship. You guys have kind of found your stride after u you have four
30:01
30 minutes, 1 second
kids and number four was maybe a little surprise. Big surprise.
30:07
30 minutes, 7 seconds
Big surprise. But you said he's the glue. That's why he's named Maverick. Yeah. Maverick. He is the glue.
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30 minutes, 13 seconds
He's the glue. And um but you know you you guys have done this. How old was Tanner? And can you tell us the story of
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30 minutes, 22 seconds
how did Love on the Spectrum find you guys or how did you find Love on the Spectrum?
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30 minutes, 27 seconds
Do you remember when they first came to do the test filming with you? I do, Mom. Back in your apartment at Center. I do, Mom.
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30 minutes, 34 seconds
Honestly, Eric, it was it was nothing we planned or ever had in mind. We never It I I really don't know why I sent his
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30 minutes, 42 seconds
picture in. I just saw a casting call on Instagram. I liked the show. I had watched the Australian version in season one. I thought they did a great job.
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30 minutes, 49 seconds
Mark had never seen the show. I thought they did a really nice job of just very simply and beautifully portraying young
30:57
30 minutes, 57 seconds
people navigating romance and dating and relationships. Tanner had not really had any chance to date. You know, he'd been to some dances, been on some just
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31 minutes, 5 seconds
outings, but not real dates. And I thought the show did a it was very classy and well done. And I I just was just intrigued with it. And honestly,
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31 minutes, 14 seconds
you know, just you see a Instagram contest, you just throw your name in, but you never think anybody will call you back. I never gave it another thought. I sent his picture in. I saw a
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casting call and we had a call that night. That night.
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31 minutes, 25 seconds
That night. And they just left a voicemail. We're like, "Hey, we loved your son's picture. We'd love to talk to you." And then we had a Zoom. And then they sent a camera crew out. And so, but
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31 minutes, 34 seconds
you know, it feels very like it was very, very divinely appointed because it doesn't make sense. I mean, none of it
31:41
31 minutes, 41 seconds
really makes sense unless you think God had a reason for allowing this into his life and for allowing him to, you know, have the little moment or whatever,
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31 minutes, 50 seconds
however you want to define it, that he's having. Um, because there's it's just been such a blessing. I mean, we have met so many families and that's really
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31 minutes, 59 seconds
the the relationships and the connections are what really matters. Um, I mean, we have met moms and dads and young people and people who are looking
32:08
32 minutes, 8 seconds
for college programs that had no idea they even exist. People whose children had not been employed who are now looking at Tanner and Connor and all
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32 minutes, 16 seconds
these young adults that have jobs and realizing, oh, you know, maybe we can find places out in the workforce for these people to have more purpose and
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32 minutes, 23 seconds
have a reason to get up every day. And I think that is really the mission. And it really has nothing to do with being on Netflix or being, you know, even the
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32 minutes, 32 seconds
romance side of it. That is secondary to, I think, what what what these young people are symbolizing to the world.
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Yeah. I think it's um I I watched the show and out of everybody and and I think I can speak for everybody.
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32 minutes, 47 seconds
Tanner just stands out.
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A I mean, you really do. What' you say, M?
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You you stand out. So, in the show like you are the one that everybody wants to talk to. Everybody wants to meet.
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33 minutes
You're right. I know.
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33 minutes, 3 seconds
But it's like when you were taking pictures, you you just everybody wants to just be around you. You're right. You're right. I know.
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33 minutes, 11 seconds
But what's important is that in that is that you were changing how people view autism. You changed the way I view autism. When I was talking to your mom
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33 minutes, 18 seconds
earlier, like I was asking there's there's these different types of autism.
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you know, I'm not really old, but I'm not really young. But, you know, when I was in high school, I never had I never heard the word autism, you know.
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I didn't either.
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33 minutes, 31 seconds
You know, so like as you guys are are bringing this um this type of trauma, this type of marriage you have, but we
33:39
33 minutes, 39 seconds
also have other kids. But this is you're also among all of that you're bringing awareness to what different types of autism
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33 minutes, 47 seconds
are is and and and how um these young adults can just live life. You That's right.
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33 minutes, 55 seconds
You can just but they don't get offended by ages. Right.
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34 minutes
Right. Eric, one thing that you know, Tanner has gotten a lot of publicity. I mean, he's gotten a lot of fame from the show.
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34 minutes, 10 seconds
I have, but you know, this is this is how Tanner's been. You know, I I remember when he had his
34:18
34 minutes, 18 seconds
interview at Clemson Life and Nikki and I were like, "What are we going to do if he doesn't get into Clemson Life?" I mean, what what's the And I remember it was a very stressful time. Like, what's the next step for him? Where do we go?
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34 minutes, 28 seconds
And I remember sitting outside of that room. They wouldn't let us go in the room with he had the interview.
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You remember Erica coming out of the door and said, "Oh, he ate home." Right. Yeah, I do. Yeah. And those are little.
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34 minutes, 46 seconds
So, you know, those are things, you know, what you see out there when he's meeting everybody. Dude, that's how that's him. I mean, that he he was that
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34 minutes, 53 seconds
way interviewing at Clemson Life to get into Clemson. He was That remember the day that we went and talked with everybody at Clemson Life before you ever got in?
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35 minutes, 2 seconds
Oh yeah. Remember in February? I do.
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35 minutes, 4 seconds
And you knocked it out of the park, they said. Sorry, what park?
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35 minutes, 7 seconds
You knocked it out of the park. You did good. Hey, Grand Slam tank. Grand slam.
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35 minutes, 11 seconds
Grand slam. That's right. So So you know he's sitting in front of a panel full of teachers and that he just
35:19
35 minutes, 19 seconds
But it's what you guys work toward, right? As a family, as a this is what Yes.
35:22
35 minutes, 22 seconds
You set him up for independence. Now, I've got to I've got to ask this and because I asked if it was okay. Um, you guys have done the planning from Tanner
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35 minutes, 31 seconds
and and his in his young life and um going through college.
35:36
35 minutes, 36 seconds
This is a big question and I want you to answer it as comfortably as you can, but I we we have kids in our church that
35:44
35 minutes, 44 seconds
have autism. One comes and works with me during the week. His name is Michael. He's fantastic. He he does our clocks.
35:49
35 minutes, 49 seconds
He knows everybody's birthday. and he just brings a certain level of joy that we'll forget about on staff here. But I often wonder like what what will what
35:57
35 minutes, 57 seconds
will Steve and Cindy do one day? So, and that's his parents. How do you guys navigate um what next steps will be in
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36 minutes, 5 seconds
five years, 10 years, 15 years? Is there a plan in place? All right, let me let me start because Nikki's going to Nikki
36:12
36 minutes, 12 seconds
can crush it. Um she'll she I still I I don't know. I mean the real
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36 minutes, 20 seconds
answer is I don't know. You know that has been one of my biggest fears as the provider for my family is when I'm gone
36:29
36 minutes, 29 seconds
what what is going you know obviously you know I'm going to well I think and I don't mean to be morbid but I'm
36:37
36 minutes, 37 seconds
going to you know I'm going to leave and he's going to be here.
36:43
36 minutes, 43 seconds
What is going to what is what is going to I worry about this all the time. This is one of my biggest fears. Um, you
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36 minutes, 51 seconds
know, I don't worry about him cut his cutting himself shaving.
36:55
36 minutes, 55 seconds
You know, I don't worry about him brushing his teeth. What you mean about?
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36 minutes, 59 seconds
No, you don't. I worry about what's going to happen one day when when I'm not here when Nikki and I and you know that it's
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37 minutes, 7 seconds
just and we but we have you know our one thing we're blessed with that our other children they are on board.
37:17
37 minutes, 17 seconds
They are all on board. I was going to say I think that's where like the foundation that you build as a family when everyone's young
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37 minutes, 24 seconds
and the ties, the sibling ties, the bonds, the sense of like family unity and family responsibility is so
37:31
37 minutes, 31 seconds
important without making them feel I mean I I feel like we worked really hard not to make the other kids feel like they had to be caretakers so much, but
37:40
37 minutes, 40 seconds
also that there is a certain amount of family loyalty and just nurturing relationships where you hope that they
37:47
37 minutes, 47 seconds
genuinely ly love their brother to the point where it would be the natural inclination to want to step into that role. So certainly we have made
37:55
37 minutes, 55 seconds
financial provision and certainly our as of right now our oldest daughter is the only one that's married and she and her husband have said that they will stay
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38 minutes, 2 seconds
and her husband has been brought on board too.
38:04
38 minutes, 4 seconds
Yes. And that that is a criteria for who our girls date. Like are you want to marry our daughter? Here's what here's what might come with it.
38:10
38 minutes, 10 seconds
Here's what might come with it. But I mean to some degree and that's another point where I would say whatever people are in your life particularly if you
38:19
38 minutes, 19 seconds
know a family that has a much more profoundly affected child they need an incredible amount of grace and support and understanding because that is a
38:27
38 minutes, 27 seconds
burden that you carry as the parent of a child with disabilities that you really can't understand if you have all typical children who will be able to be financially and physically independent.
38:37
38 minutes, 37 seconds
Um, you know, I mean, just that level of fear and uncertainty and concern and then just the stress of the, you know,
38:46
38 minutes, 46 seconds
forward thinking for finances, forward thinking for wills, for insurance, for care, for housing. It's a lot that goes
38:53
38 minutes, 53 seconds
into that. Um, and it's something that literally we're taking decade by decade and kind of judging it by like where we
39:01
39 minutes, 1 second
are right now, where we project we're going to be in 10 years. But certainly, I mean, we've laid the the big the big long-term groundwork, you know, but
39:09
39 minutes, 9 seconds
that's not the case for everybody. And that's not possible for everybody. And that's where also we need like reform out in the system because we need better
39:17
39 minutes, 17 seconds
long-term care and we need better facilities for the young people that will never be able to live independently. I have met a lot of mothers whose children as particularly
39:26
39 minutes, 26 seconds
young men and you know not to stigmatize it all but men are just physically bigger and stronger who are level three who are self-injurous who might be a
39:34
39 minutes, 34 seconds
danger to themselves or others who will not be able to stay in their family home simply because their needs are so profound and they can physically hurt
39:41
39 minutes, 41 seconds
someone or you need a bigger caretaker like if it's a single mom I know one gal in Arkansas and she is facing putting
39:49
39 minutes, 49 seconds
her 13-year-old in extended care because he's physically getting bigger than her and she can't safely handle him. I can't
39:56
39 minutes, 56 seconds
fathom that. I cannot imagine. And there are not good extended like long-term care, 24-hour care type facilities. They
40:05
40 minutes, 5 seconds
are few and far between. And for a lot of families, they're looking at having to put their loved ones somewhere hours away from them. And that is a crisis.
40:13
40 minutes, 13 seconds
That is a crisis. So, people are looking for like, you know, fields to go in or things to support. That needs reform. I mean, there really needs because there
40:21
40 minutes, 21 seconds
are a lot of profoundly affected autistic people out there that will need full-time care who don't have an option of where to go, right? There's just not a like you guys
40:29
40 minutes, 29 seconds
are thinking through a plan, but there's not a whole lot of options. And we are the blessed. I mean, to be honest, we are the blessed situation. We have very involved family.
40:36
40 minutes, 36 seconds
We have siblings who are willing. We have got extended family who cares and who is there. So, we are extremely blessed. But a lot of people are not and that burdens me.
40:46
40 minutes, 46 seconds
I will you can hear it in her voice. Yeah.
40:48
40 minutes, 48 seconds
Really? I mean, every time she's somewhere speaking, it's always about the families. I mean, she's always talking about the families.
40:57
40 minutes, 57 seconds
That's that has been Nikki's biggest.
41:00
41 minutes
She has been it's been her um it's been her mission. I mean, she is always talking about I you know, I'm always
41:08
41 minutes, 8 seconds
listening to what she's saying and she always she's so concerned with the families. Well, I've I've met some moms who just
41:16
41 minutes, 16 seconds
tear at my heartstrings because, you know, everything is relative. Like, comparatively to parenting typical
41:23
41 minutes, 23 seconds
children who are developing typically, our situation was hard and it was hard.
41:29
41 minutes, 29 seconds
But when I compare our circumstances to some friends I've made over these past couple years, I have one friend whose son is about to turn 13. This is a different gal than I mentioned before.
41:40
41 minutes, 40 seconds
He cannot be left out of anyone's sight.
41:42
41 minutes, 42 seconds
He has to wear pajamas that bind his arms down. He will, if he there's anything laying around, he'll pick it up and swallow it. He will beat his head
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41 minutes, 49 seconds
against the wall. And that's 24 hours a day, seven days a week. So, I just, you know, there are so many families that
41:56
41 minutes, 56 seconds
are hurting, that are suffering, and they need compassion, they need support, they need better extended care, they need better support from their states, they need more understanding of what
42:05
42 minutes, 5 seconds
their scenarios look like, and they need a bigger voice. Because while Love on the Spectrum is incredible, and what it's done for autism awareness is amazing, and it is, and I'm so thankful
42:13
42 minutes, 13 seconds
for it, but it's giving a voice to those that already have a voice. What about the ones that don't have a voice? We need to listen to them. We need to push
42:22
42 minutes, 22 seconds
their parents forward. We need to give them the spotlight, too. You know, because there's a there's a humongous, tremendous need there, and there is a
42:31
42 minutes, 31 seconds
big gap. You you mentioned uh that uh Tanner was a type two or you said type one, two or three.
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42 minutes, 38 seconds
Well, the autism spectrum right now is kind of divided up into levels and level one, level two, level three. It was not like that when he was diagnosed. Um
42:47
42 minutes, 47 seconds
honestly, we never used the level terminology when he was young. Um I would say ask us tomorrow. We'll let you know.
42:54
42 minutes, 54 seconds
We'll let you know tomorrow. We're a one or a two. It depends. It's different level every day to be honest. I guess I'm just I'm trying to educate myself and maybe maybe some of the folks out
43:02
43 minutes, 2 seconds
and that may listen to the podcast is it it sounds like it's ever changing too because where would where would someone
43:10
43 minutes, 10 seconds
that that is non-verbal or aggressive is that a is that a level I would say that like level three is considered the highest support needs is
43:17
43 minutes, 17 seconds
another term that's often used like people who cannot do the basic activities of daily life like bathing yourself, feeding yourself, getting
43:24
43 minutes, 24 seconds
yourself you know to the bathroom who need some sort of supervision and or usually and have extremely limited
43:31
43 minutes, 31 seconds
verbal ability. I would classify that as level three. I would classify level two as being semi-independent but needing supervision. And I would classify level
43:40
43 minutes, 40 seconds
one as people who have maybe more social and emotional issues, but they might be perfectly capable of driving, marrying,
43:47
43 minutes, 47 seconds
holding a job. They might just be more impacted socially. That's a very broad generalization right there.
43:53
43 minutes, 53 seconds
There it is. I was waiting on it because he was you were you were up. I saw it coming.
43:58
43 minutes, 58 seconds
But yeah, that's generally how the levels work. And a lot of people kind of float between one and two. Some people float between two and three at different seasons of their life.
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44 minutes, 6 seconds
Yeah. No, I I really appreciate that.
44:08
44 minutes, 8 seconds
And and I don't want that conversation to be heavy. It's just I wanted people to hear when they listen to this podcast, your relationship, but also
44:17
44 minutes, 17 seconds
this is a type of recovery and it's a simple form of recovery. And this is the vow that you made. I don't mean to make it all cheesy, but you guys made a vow to each other. It's just a part of the
44:25
44 minutes, 25 seconds
vows that you made. And this is the the trauma that you went through and now this is the family in recovery and how you work through it. You make a decision and you just do it. Yep.
44:33
44 minutes, 33 seconds
All right. So, before we close, um I want to have a I want to have some fun. Me, too. You do. Yes, sir. Yes, sir.
44:41
44 minutes, 41 seconds
Tanner, we got to hang out today. We did. Yes, we did.
44:45
44 minutes, 45 seconds
We went to eat and you had what? I had fried shrimp and mashed potatoes.
44:52
44 minutes, 52 seconds
What so far about this afternoon has been your favorite thing? Do you mean about today?
44:58
44 minutes, 58 seconds
Yeah. Like since you've been here being here at the church, did you have what's been your favorite thing so far? Having pictures made, maybe. Yes. Having the pictures made.
45:05
45 minutes, 5 seconds
And are you excited? What are some things that you are excited about for 2026? Oh, yeah. For this year, for this year.
45:14
45 minutes, 14 seconds
Big things.
45:15
45 minutes, 15 seconds
So, we're hoping that I I'll be de I'll be the host of a new kid show called Think Tank. We're hoping and working
45:23
45 minutes, 23 seconds
working very hard to have it made. Can you tell me a little bit about Weeble?
45:27
45 minutes, 27 seconds
Yes, sir. So, how do I start? Mom, can you explain how Remember, Wayable is an app, but you're doing social media for them,
45:35
45 minutes, 35 seconds
right? And I'm doing social media for them.
45:36
45 minutes, 36 seconds
Yep. And there it's only for neurode divergent people.
45:39
45 minutes, 39 seconds
It's only for neur. It's only for neurode divergent people. That's great. And Matt Tanner, who works for them? and Holly. Mitch and Holly.
45:47
45 minutes, 47 seconds
Oh, Mitch and Holly work for them now, too. Yes. Mitch and Holly.
45:50
45 minutes, 50 seconds
And so that means you have to travel a lot.
45:52
45 minutes, 52 seconds
I'm glad too. Yep. Cuz you go you fly in, right? I do go flying around.
45:58
45 minutes, 58 seconds
Where do you like to fly to? Is New York your favorite place? Is it? And and also California. California. Mexico.
46:06
46 minutes, 6 seconds
What? When you went to California, did you meet you met Jack Black? New York. That was in New York.
46:11
46 minutes, 11 seconds
But he was born in Cal. Yeah, he was.
46:15
46 minutes, 15 seconds
When you met Jack, because I've watched the video when you met Jack Black when you saw him run out from behind the stage. How excited. I mean, I know you're excited, but like was that the most favorite time?
46:24
46 minutes, 24 seconds
Yes, sir. I was very excited. I was like, "Jack, it's you. Jack, I'm happy to finally meet you." I almost kissed him on the cheek.
46:29
46 minutes, 29 seconds
Did you Did you call him on the phone or talk to him after that?
46:32
46 minutes, 32 seconds
No. No, sir. I did not get cuz I did not get his phone number.
46:34
46 minutes, 34 seconds
I I'll get it. I'll try to get his phone number and give it to Yeah, you should try to get Now, I talked to your dad one time and he said you were just randomly on the phone with Mark Wahlberg one night. Yeah.
46:42
46 minutes, 42 seconds
Yes. Yes, I was. that that night before we went to New York cuz I met Mark Wenberg at the Shepherd's Hotel cuz his daughter goes to Clemson, right?
46:50
46 minutes, 50 seconds
Yeah, she's a senior. I think she graduates in May.
46:52
46 minutes, 52 seconds
Is there anything else in 2026 that you want to tell everybody about?
46:56
46 minutes, 56 seconds
What's another thing you want to do this year?
46:58
46 minutes, 58 seconds
Yes, sir. And um I'm hoping to be in a real Hallmark Chris movie this December.
47:03
47 minutes, 3 seconds
And there are two actors who I want to meet, Tom Cruz and Mark Camel. I mean, you guys, you have to really realize, uh, Nikki, I mean, you you told me at dinner like, you you're the brains.
47:14
47 minutes, 14 seconds
You're you do all of this and and I know working out is one of the things, but um this is a lot.
47:22
47 minutes, 22 seconds
It is a lot.
47:23
47 minutes, 23 seconds
And you said you have to be OCD about something that you care about. You do.
47:27
47 minutes, 27 seconds
Um, what's 2026 going to look like for you?
47:31
47 minutes, 31 seconds
You know, we don't know. We really have no idea. It kind of depends on these. We we do have an a a really really really I did a good job with my with my the think tank answer and the Tom Cruz Mark.
47:42
47 minutes, 42 seconds
You did perfect. the the kid show idea is truly a labor of love and something that we feel like it sort of was born
47:50
47 minutes, 50 seconds
out of the farming videos that Tanner did with his dad because he got such a huge response from the public and so many people found them like to be so
47:58
47 minutes, 58 seconds
educational and so informative and Tanner really is good in the interviewer role and in the supportive role and so we were like what a way to be an
48:07
48 minutes, 7 seconds
advocate but that I mean to be the first ever children show host who's autistic would just be an incredible you know, testament to the world of
48:15
48 minutes, 15 seconds
what's possible. And when the whole premise behind the idea for the show is like we always talk about like what saved Tanner, like why has he gotten
48:22
48 minutes, 22 seconds
this far? And we're like he's curious, he can follow a routine and he can read.
48:27
48 minutes, 27 seconds
So the whole the show will be based on those things. Curiosity, finding out how things work and why, the importance of routines, and the importance of reading.
48:35
48 minutes, 35 seconds
Sort of like a throwback to an old Mr.
48:37
48 minutes, 37 seconds
Rogers style teaching. and we're really, you know, if that's what God has for him, it'll work. If it's not, it won't.
48:44
48 minutes, 44 seconds
So, we're working on that. Um, he does have a couple other interesting offers in the bank. So, we don't really know.
48:50
48 minutes, 50 seconds
Everything's hanging in the balance right now, but we're just kind of trusting that what's meant to be will come. And if it doesn't, it wasn't meant to be, and it was time to divert and
48:58
48 minutes, 58 seconds
take another course. And in the meantime, just trying to do as much good as we can. We're doing a ton of public speaking and a lot of advocacy work over the next six weeks.
49:08
49 minutes, 8 seconds
I got to take a winky. Yo, go ahead. You go ahead and we're gonna wait right here on you. I'm with you. Promise. We're doing it. We're doing it. My high. You're doing it.
49:16
49 minutes, 16 seconds
But yeah. So, we'll see. We'll see. 2026 is the year of We'll see. We're really not sure, but we're hopeful that it's going to bring really good things.
49:24
49 minutes, 24 seconds
It I'll tell you what it does for the marriage. Okay. Okay.
49:27
49 minutes, 27 seconds
So, when we leave here tonight from your parking lot, they're going to go to Clemson. I'm going to go a different direction.
49:35
49 minutes, 35 seconds
I'm going to Texas with one child this week. They're going to North Carolina, Georgia, New York. North Carolina, Georgia, New York.
49:43
49 minutes, 43 seconds
I think you and I are going to be back together in two weeks. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
49:48
49 minutes, 48 seconds
That's that's how we roll. I mean, that's exactly how we're going to roll.
49:51
49 minutes, 51 seconds
We're going to when we leave your parking lot tonight, I'm going to see her again in two weeks. So, and I wouldn't suggest that for a really young couple, but we've been around the block.
49:59
49 minutes, 59 seconds
No, we got Listen, this is We're all right.
50:02
50 minutes, 2 seconds
You know what keeps coming to mind and is that all this that Tanner is doing?
50:07
50 minutes, 7 seconds
He's he's changing people like me that never heard it when I was in high school, but just little bit by little bit, season by season, he's teaching us
50:15
50 minutes, 15 seconds
how life can be lived from a different way of just looking at it. And one thing I'll point out, um, my wife Kristen met
50:23
50 minutes, 23 seconds
you guys in Charleston and and, um, on the way here from the restaurant, I said, "If I could just be like Tanner
50:30
50 minutes, 30 seconds
and be the same in every room, I would be such a better person." Yeah.
50:34
50 minutes, 34 seconds
Do you know what I mean? Like, and so I learned that from you today, Tanner. I just want you to know that I learned that from you. But Nikki, I just want you to hear that as you watch your son,
50:42
50 minutes, 42 seconds
in Mark, too, as you watch your son get older. Thank you. Thank you.
50:45
50 minutes, 45 seconds
You're welcome, buddy. But as as you guys watch Tanner get older, just know that that race he's running, it's he's just knocking another minute off of it.
50:52
50 minutes, 52 seconds
He's just getting faster and faster and faster and he's doing some really good.
50:55
50 minutes, 55 seconds
I agree. It's been such a lesson in authenticity.
50:58
50 minutes, 58 seconds
I have learned a lot, Eric. He has taught me a lot. He has taught me a lot and just how to simply be a kind person.
51:08
51 minutes, 8 seconds
Yeah. And be simple. I know it's it really is.
51:10
51 minutes, 10 seconds
I mean, you're changing people's lives, Tanner. I'm sorry. What? Say, M.
51:14
51 minutes, 14 seconds
You're changing people's lives. Yes, I am changing people's lives. Yes, I am changing people's lives. Yeah. Yes, I am.
51:19
51 minutes, 19 seconds
We we had a conversation with my girls last night. Tanner MCed a special needs fashion show. We went to a fashion show in Colombia where all the designs were
51:27
51 minutes, 27 seconds
created by young adults, young women with Down syndrome. And we were saying it's pretty crazy in the last few years.
51:33
51 minutes, 33 seconds
I feel like the world maybe is pretty turbulent and there's a lot of just unrest and things that are uncomfortable going on in the world. But in the world
51:41
51 minutes, 41 seconds
of disability, I feel like things are on the up. I feel like that room last night was so full of energy and love and
51:48
51 minutes, 48 seconds
excitement and accomplishment and just true authentic joy and it was all centered around people with disabilities. And I'm like, you know, it
51:55
51 minutes, 55 seconds
it's really encouraging and I feel like everybody in the world needs someone in their life with a disability because you will learn more than you ever thought
52:03
52 minutes, 3 seconds
possible. And it just brings everything back into focus and just really I feel like just shines a light on a pure heart and how important that is. So it's it's
52:11
52 minutes, 11 seconds
pretty cool. It is very very cool. And I just want to again tell you guys, hey, thank you so much for for working with me for the last six months to try to make this happen.
52:20
52 minutes, 20 seconds
Figuring this out.
52:21
52 minutes, 21 seconds
You know, I picked the only day uh in ever for it to snow. And so I'm glad that it worked out that you got you got to come on a better day.
52:29
52 minutes, 29 seconds
Um and we'd love to have you come back. Me too. Me too.
52:32
52 minutes, 32 seconds
And and maybe we can meet you at the zoo or something. We'll go to Riverbank Zoo together.
52:35
52 minutes, 35 seconds
Yes, sir. I'd love us to, Mr. Eric. I love us too.
52:37
52 minutes, 37 seconds
Because um I know that you like the zoo and I do too. It to give me a reason to go. Yes, sir. Yes, sir.
52:42
52 minutes, 42 seconds
But um but I want to say this before we close. Okay. Yes, sir.
52:45
52 minutes, 45 seconds
If you guys aren't already following us on the Recovery V podcast, you can do that by going to our YouTube channel.
52:50
52 minutes, 50 seconds
You can do that by going to our social media channels, Instagram, Facebook, and for you young folks, we're actually on Tik Tok. But for geriatrics like myself,
52:57
52 minutes, 57 seconds
we're on Facebook. So, just uh subscribe or follow there. And uh we'll have plenty of pictures from today's episode.
53:03
53 minutes, 3 seconds
and uh Tanner, Nikki, Mark, I just want to say from myself, from the the audiences here at Stevens Creek Church, thank you guys so much for coming.
53:12
53 minutes, 12 seconds
You're welcome. You're welcome. You're welcome. Thank you guys.