Our guest this week is Bob Bourke of Evanston, IL, a retired banker, father of four including a daughter with Down Syndrome and a advisory board member at Misericordia in Chicago.

Bob and his wife, Peggy, have been married for 44 years and are the proud parents of three boys: Bo (40), Matt (36), and Nick (32) as well as daughter, Molly (38) who has Down Syndrome.

Bob had a storied career in banking. We learn about the wide range of programs and services Molly benefited from and that have helped her develop into this bright, vivacious young woman.

Bob has also become a passionate volunteer and supporter at Misericordia, a Chicago based non-profit whose mission is: to provide a continuum of care and support for children and adults of all faiths and cultures who have intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Through the leadership of sister Rosemary Connelly, the past 50+ years, Misericordia provides residency to more than 600 specially abled adults. They also provide the highest quality of care designed to meet each person’s changing needs and maximize his/her independence, self-determination, interpersonal relationships, and engagement in the community. The mission extends beyond the residents as they offer peace of mind to families. Through Catholic values and traditions they strive to be a diverse and inclusive community of acceptance, respect, dignity, spirituality, and quality of life for us all.

We’ll hear Bob’s story and how the apple of his eye, Molly, lights up every room she enters. That’s all in this week’s SFN Dad to Dad Podcast.

Show Notes -
Email – robertrbourke@yahoo.com
Phone – (312) 209-4890
Website – https://www.misericordia.com/
YouTube Video Molly Bourke’s Journey (Misericordia)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUFaqaA-DYY

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.

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