Fortitude Amos & Heather Kittelson

To donate - Inclusion For Sawyer - http://spot.fund/j59x5sc
YouTube Version: https://youtu.be/Gry24a5hows

Desiree Schmidt had the perfect pregnancy. She was 1 week overdue when she went into labor and everything from that point spiraling out of control for her and baby Sawyer.  This amazing women has gone through more than any single mama should ever go through. 

Her son, Sawyer is now 7yr. He has Spastic Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy due to a traumatic birth. He suffered from lack of oxygen for an extended amount of time during birth, which resulted in a severe brain injury. He was not supposed to live past his first week of life, but Desiree and her family has been blessed to spend the last 7 years with him.

Sawyer has an extensive list of diagnoses, requires 20 different medications daily, relies on several different machines & equipment to keep him alive and healthy and is completely dependent on his parents for every single aspect of his care. He requires round the clock care and it is certainly tiring & challenging many days, but Desiree is truly blessed beyond measure to have him here and be the one who get to love and care for him daily - he is truly such a miracle and gift. 

In this episode we touch on so many topics around caring for a disabled loved one, how we as a society can better wrap our arms around families like Desiree & Sawyer and how we need to get more curious and ask the right questions when faced with beautiful 'differences.' 

Desiree's FB: https://www.facebook.com/desiree.nelson.900

It was one of the biggest nights of Lon’s professional career when Lon received a call from his only daughter Grace while driving to his company's acquisition celebration. It was the kind of call that no parent expected to get.
Lon’s daughter, Grace, was very active in multiple school activities, and church and loved spending time with her family. She hid her pain and suffering very tightly. Nobody really knew or understood what Grace was going through. Nothing would have ever pointed to depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts. 
At age 15, Grace was sexually assaulted at a high school party. Grace was living with shame, guilt, and disbelief but she decided to tell her parents what had happened right away. Both Lon and his wife listened and did all the ‘things’ parents should do to ‘deal’ with the ‘problem’ and within a year they had moved on and considered the situation closed. However, that wasn’t the case for Grace. After years of pain and reliving the trauma, Grace was having suicidal thoughts. 
Grace is thriving and doing wonderful through treatment, TLC from family and friends, and therapy. It’s taken a lot of hard work and it has been so worth it. Grace shares her story and wisdom alongside her father Lon who shares his story from the parent's perspective. 
This father-daughter is priceless! 
Lon’s Bio (Aug. 2023): Lon is the founder and CEO of Normal 40 - a movement that inspires people to declare their future, and provides the tools to chase it. In 2022, Lon left his corporate job on a hunch that the world was asking more of him. Without a resume, a business plan, or independent wealth, but with the support of his wife and family, he separated from the W2 race. Then, on another hunch, he launched Normal 40. Lon dedicated most of 2022 to capturing the stories of people from across the globe who felt like their best days were in front of them, that they wouldn’t live in their current capacity, but they didn’t know how to transition. These conversations, and the hard choices we all eventually face, became his motivation for this book 
Lon’s mission is to inspire change in a thousand lives. And he will know he has been successful when he has a thousand notes of thanks from people who have been impacted by the change. Lon is a pilot and loves traveling with his family, or getting dirty at the family farm near Warner, SD. 


YOU TUBE VERSION: https://youtu.be/go_dptsnr7E
Normal 40: https://www.normal40.com/
Lon’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lon-stroschein-normal40/
The Trade book: https://www.normal40.com/the-trade-book
Lon’s Insta: https://www.instagram.com/lon.stroschein/
Grace’s FB: https://www.facebook.com/grace.stroschein
Grace’s Ista: https://www.instagram.com/grace.stroschein/

Raised in the Bronx by a single mamma and older sister, Manny found himself in 'fight' mode most of his childhood and young adult years. Living in a constant state of survival in the middle of the crack/cocaine crisis, amongst some of the toughest  gangs and drug lords, Manny managed to escape this destructive and dangerous lifestyle. 

Football was the vehicle that brought Manny (E-Man) to the Midwest with a scholarship to play football at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell SD.  Manny's life went from gangs and drug infested streets - to living in a town with a literal corn palace (https://cornpalace.com). After surviving the culture shock of the move, the  scholarship became the best thing that could have ever happened to Manny for his career, his family and his eternal salvation.

With all the twists and turns that one can imagine Manny's detailed childhood stories will intently grab your attention in disbelief and then have you standing up at the end cheering him on for the life he leads now! Manny is a warrior for Christ!

Manny is also a Father, Sports Coach, Author, Hip Hop Artist, Motivational Speaker, Public figure, Barber, Jack of many trades.
Manny is the Director of Community engagement for Think 3D Solutions,  https://letsthink3d.com/ and the Head football Coach at O’Gorman Junior High School in Sioux Falls, SD.
@mannydawgz on Instagram

Brandi & Kira Part 2! If you have not listened to Part 1 with Brandi & Kira - please do so. Their relationship is a true gift and blessing to us all. :)

In this episode we discuss Narcissistic Behavior Disorder in great detail. The truth is - most of us have experienced someone with narcissistic behavior. What are the signs/behaviors to look for? How do you know when you are under the spell of a narcissist? What is their mode of operation? What is gaslighting? How do you get out of a narcissist’s grip of control? How do you help someone you love escape from a narcissist relationship? How do you heal from narcissistic abuse?
What is Narcissistic Behavior Disorder? 
Definition from Wikipedia: a personality disorder characterized by a life-long pattern of exaggerated feelings of self-importance, an excessive need for admiration and a delusional sense of status, diminished ability or unwillingness to empathize with others' feelings, and interpersonally exploitative behavior. 
Mayo’s Description: Narcissistic personality disorder is a mental health condition in which people have an unreasonably high sense of their own importance. They need and seek too much attention and want people to admire them. People with this disorder may lack the ability to understand or care about the feelings of others. But behind this mask of extreme confidence, they are not sure of their self-worth and are easily upset by the slightest criticism.
A narcissistic personality disorder causes problems in many areas of life, such as relationships, work, school or financial matters. People with narcissistic personality disorder may be generally unhappy and disappointed when they're not given the special favors or admiration that they believe they deserve. They may find their relationships troubled and unfulfilling, and other people may not enjoy being around them.

A BIG Thank you to all of our listeners! We are so grateful that our audience is enjoying the stories we are sharing. Our guests are so brave and vulnerable and they are trusting us to hold them in a safe space. 

In this bonus clip - Amos and Heather bring you behind the mic and in the room to discuss the mission and future of Fortitude and the incredible direction the podcast is headed. 

Please share the stories and leave a review on whichever platform you listen on! 

Brandi is a South Dakota native, and mother to her beautiful daughter Kira.

Single motherhood began for her with the birth of her daughter in 2004. Throughout the years, they have stayed by each other's side and developed an inseparable bond as they tackled various obstacles.


Just out of High School, Kira talks about her journey dealing with issues like, social media, the pressures of being an athlete, self-acceptance, friendships, and dealing with manipulation and emotional abuse. She shares how she became stronger with the help of God's grace and love.


Brandi's story highlights how our choices as adults can have both positive and negative impacts on our children, dealing with toxic relationships, and how to find the courage through God, friends and family to evolve and drastically change your life for the better.


After years of turmoil, they have emerged to bring support, hope, and positivity to those facing similar circumstances. "We count on God's mercy for our past mistakes, on God's love for our present needs, and on God's sovereignty for our future." Saint Augustine.


Please make sure to tune in to Part 2. We continue talking with Brandi and Kira about narcissistic behavior disorder.