“You have to be true to yourself in order to be true to your children.”
Mike became a dad at a crucial moment in the life of baby Aaron. When a family member who had just had a baby was in jail and could no longer care for her baby — Mike got a call to take over the care of the baby. Mike and his then girlfriend Trish became Aaron’s parents and would later adopt him as their own son. He shares with his Nurse-Family Partnership nurse Katie how she was the single greatest influence on his parenting journey. She instilled confidence in him and was someone he could rely on especially when things didn’t go as planned. When there were signs that his son was developmentally delayed, nurse Katie helped Mike to navigate how to get his son tested and access additional support to care for a child with autism. Aaron is now 7 years old, and Mike is very active in helping other parents cope with having children with autism. He and Trish (now his wife) also have a second son named Cole.