SFN Dad To Dad 440 - Jerod Garland of Pella, IA An 8th Grade History Teacher, Author and Father Of Three Including One With Down Syndrome

Our guest this week is Jerod Garland of Pella, IA who is an 8th grade history teacher, an author and father of three including one with Down Syndrome. 

Jerod and his wife, Leah, have been married for 19 years and are the proud parents of three girls: Zoe (11), Eliana (14) and Kayla (17), who has Down syndrome.

In addition to being an 8th grade history teacher Jerod authored the book Shovels And Spades, where he shares his journey as the father raising a spirited daughter with Down Syndrome.

We also learn about two organizations that have played an important role in Kayla's life: Special Olympics and Gigi's Playhouse. 

It's an uplifting story about faith, family and embracing life, all on this episode of the SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.

(this episode was recorded face-to-face in front of the audience at Gigi's Playhouse Des Moines, as part of the SFN U.S. Tour). 

Show Notes -
Phone – (641) 295-9642
Email –  jerod.garland@pellaschools.org
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerod-garland-6948313a/
Gigi’s Playhouse Des Moines – https://gigisplayhouse.org/desmoines/
Book: Shovels & Spades - https://tinyurl.com/yhjmt3h2

Special thanks to all those who supported the SFN U.S. Tour, a month-long, 50-state, 60+ stop tour that took place from May 21 to June 21, 2026: to strengthen and grow the Special Fathers Network and distribute 1,000+ complimentary copies of our new book: Dads Raising Children With Special Needs & Disabilities: A Guide For 21st Century Dads. 

Special Fathers Network –
SFN is a dad to dad mentoring program for fathers raising children with special needs. Many of the 900+ 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/channel/UCzDFCvQimWNEb158ll6Q4cA/videos

Please support the SFN. Click here to donate: https://21stcenturydads.org/donate/

Special Fathers Network: https://21stcenturydads.org/