Dad to Dad 257 - David Ross of Little Hampton, England, A Rare Disease Advocate Reflects On His Cowden Syndrome Diagnosis

Our guest this week is David Ross of Little Hampton, England. David is a rare disease advocate for mens mental health. He plans and hosts valuable international support calls focused on men in the rare disease community. David also has a rare disease himself called Cowden Syndrome, a rare genetic inherited condition. People with Cowden syndrome often have many noncancerous, tumor-like growths. They may also have an increased risk of developing certain cancers. Experts estimate it affects 1 in 200,000 people. The condition often goes underdiagnosed because some healthcare providers may not recognize its symptoms.David reflects on the relationship with his daughter and the importance of communicating with loved ones and friends as part of confronting the challenges associated with rare disease and one's own mortality, all on this week’s Special Fathers Network Dad to Dad Podcast.Show Links -Email – [email protected] – https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-ross-844965171/Eurodis Rare Diseases Europe – https://www.edf-feph.org/our-members/eurordis-rare-diseases-europe/PTEN UK & Ireland - https://ptenuki.org/Special Fathers Network - SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 500+ SFN Mentor Fathers, who are raising kids with special needs, have said: "I wish there was something like this when we first received our child's diagnosis. I felt so isolated. There was no one within my family, at work, at church or within my friend group who understood or could relate to what I was going through."SFN Mentor Fathers share their experiences with younger dads closer to the beginning of their journey raising a child with the same or similar special needs. The SFN Mentor Fathers do NOT offer legal or medical advice, that is what lawyers and doctors do. They simply share their experiences and how they have made the most of challenging situations.Check out the 21CD YouTube Channel with dozens of videos on topics relevant to dads raising children with special needs - https://www.youtube.com/channe... Please support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/do...Find out about Horizon Therapeutics – Science and Compassion Working Together To Transform Lives. https://www.horizontherapeutics.com/Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/Discover more about the Dads Honor Ride 2023 - https://21stcenturydads.org/2023-dads-honor-ride/