Episode 13 - Sammy shows Mom and Dad the "Full Moon"
SammyCalls
Sam, Jenna and Kevin come up with the best prank ever in honor of the full moon! Sam Balegno has Down Syndrome, lives in Massachusetts and eats a lot of pizza. Jenna Balegno (his older sister) lives in California, has a dog named Norman and eats a lot of pizza. Listen in on their casual and candid phone calls to each other and get a little insight on what it means to have Down Syndrome… and more importantly… what it doesn’t mean. #knowdownsyndrome
info_outline
Episode 12 - On the news!!
SammyCalls
We were featured on CBS News Channel 8 in San Diego! Listen to us catch up on the segment after it aired! Sam Balegno has Down Syndrome, lives in Massachusetts and eats a lot of pizza. Jenna Balegno (his older sister) lives in California, has a dog named Norman and eats a lot of pizza. Listen in on their casual and candid phone calls to each other and get a little insight on what it means to have Down Syndrome… and more importantly… what it doesn’t mean. #knowdownsyndrome
info_outline
Episode 11 - I have a really important question to ask you...
SammyCalls
Kevin asks Sammy a very important question: Can I marry your sister? Sam Balegno has Down Syndrome, lives in Massachusetts and eats a lot of pizza. Jenna Balegno (his older sister) lives in California, has a dog named Norman and eats a lot of pizza. Listen in on their casual and candid phone calls to each other and get a little insight on what it means to have Down Syndrome… and more importantly… what it doesn’t mean. #knowdownsyndrome
info_outline
The Fantasy Football Matchup Heard Round the World
SammyCalls
We've been gone for two weeks because Sam wouldn't talk to Jenna after she BEAT HIM in their first week matchup of Fantasy Football... but we are back folks! Sam Balegno has Down Syndrome, lives in Massachusetts and eats a lot of pizza. Jenna Balegno (his older sister) lives in California, has a dog named Norman and eats a lot of pizza. Listen in on their casual and candid phone calls to each other and get a little insight on what it means to have Down Syndrome… and more importantly… what it doesn’t mean. know #downsyndrome
info_outline
Episode 9 - Reunited!
SammyCalls
This week Jenna went home for a visit, a Fantasy Football draft and a whole lot more... Sam Balegno has Down Syndrome, lives in Massachusetts and eats a lot of pizza. Jenna Balegno (his older sister) lives in California, has a dog named Norman and eats a lot of pizza. Listen in on their casual and candid phone calls to each other and get a little insight on what it means to have Down Syndrome… and more importantly… what it doesn’t mean. know #downsyndrome
info_outline
Prom, Fantasy Football and a special video
SammyCalls
Welcome to the SammyCalls podcast! This week, Sammy talks about his recent prom, watches a video from a few really cool fans and tells us his top picks for fantasy football. Sam Balegno has Down Syndrome, lives in Massachusetts and eats a lot of pizza. Jenna Balegno (his older sister) lives in California, has a dog named Norman and eats a lot of pizza. Listen in on their casual and candid phone calls to each other and get a little insight on what it means to have Down Syndrome… and more importantly… what it doesn’t mean. know #downsyndrome
info_outline
Sammy does Twitter
SammyCalls
Welcome to the SammyCalls podcast! This week, Sammy updates us on his group home mission and is introduced to Twitter. Sam Balegno has Down Syndrome, lives in Massachusetts and eats a lot of pizza. Jenna Balegno (his older sister) lives in California, has a dog named Norman and eats a lot of pizza. Listen in on their casual and candid phone calls to each other and get a little insight on what it means to have Down Syndrome… and more importantly… what it doesn’t mean. know #downsyndrome
info_outline
A little game of 'Who do you love more?"
SammyCalls
Sammy starts a game with Jenna and Kevin that gets HEATED! Who do you love more?! The whole episode this week is basically just a back and forth game of “Who/what do you love more?” between Sam, Kevin and I. Sammy cooked this one up himself and the actual conversation went on for over an hour (this is essentially the highlight reel). Sammy’s mind works in mysterious ways. I love when he just goes off the cuff, gets creative and is so interactive like this. This is when his personality shines through and he really is brilliant… and kind of weird (just like me – minus the...
info_outline
Episode 5 - Sammy has some big news!
SammyCalls
This week is a special episode... Sammy tells us some pretty big news and we talk to both my mom and my dad about it! We hope you enjoy! Sam Balegno has Down Syndrome, lives in Massachusetts and eats a lot of pizza. Jenna Balegno (his older sister) lives in California, has a dog named Norman and eats a lot of pizza. Listen in on their casual and candid phone calls to each other and get a little insight on what it means to have Down Syndrome… and more importantly… what it doesn’t mean. _________ My relationship with my brother is definitely different. I've known forever that he has Down...
info_outline
Episode 4 - SammyPRANKS!
SammyCalls
This week we have a special SammyPRANKS episode for you!! Listen in on Sammy pranking not one, but TWO people in 15 minutes. The guy is a master pranker. Enjoy! Sam Balegno has Down Syndrome, lives in Massachusetts and eats a lot of pizza. Jenna Balegno (his older sister) lives in California, has a dog named Norman and eats a lot of pizza. Listen in on their casual and candid phone calls to each other and get a little insight on what it means to have Down Syndrome… and more importantly… what it doesn’t mean. _________ If you have listened to the first few episodes of this podcast or have...
info_outlineThis episode Sam and Jenna (and Kevin) talk about bullying... chicken pattaaays... our step families... and so much more! We hope you love it! Sam Balegno has Down Syndrome, lives in Massachusetts and eats a lot of pizza. Jenna Balegno (his older sister) lives in California, has a dog named Norman and eats a lot of pizza. Listen in on their casual and candid phone calls to each other and get a little insight on what it means to have Down Syndrome... and more importantly... what it doesn't mean. Welcome to the SammyCalls podcast!
________
Sam and I were chatting about the podcast a couple of weeks back and I randomly asked him what he wanted to talk about in the first few episodes and without missing a beat he blurted out that he wanted to discuss Bullying. Needless to say, I was surprised... in a good way. I do want to keep the podcast light but at the same time, life isn't always cupcakes and rainbows, am I right? The whole point of SammyCalls is to expose people to something they might know very little about. Or to just give people a perspective that they might not have ever considered... turns out bullying is part of the deal. The best we can do is try to educate ourselves. So sandwiched in between chatter about what was for dinner and who he beat in basketball this week, Sam talks about a time he felt bullied and gives advice to someone in his situation. This instance he describes might not seem like a big deal, but I think the story symbolizes much more. I think it is a translation of all the times he has felt isolated, threatened or berated in some way. So listen up, and maybe let Sammy teach you a thing or two!
Some things discussed in this episode:
Bart & MaryEllen, Sarah & Mike: Bart and Sarah are our step brother and sister on my Mom's side (Steve's kids). They have 5 amazing kiddos between the two!
Ashley, Rachel & Paul: Ashley and Rachel are our step sisters on my Dad's side (Lisa's kids). Paul is Rachel's husband and Sammy LOVES his "Paulie."
Community Connections, Inc (CCI) is a program for people with disabilities on the Cape that you will hear Sammy reference quite a bit. He typically goes Wednesday & Thursday but more recently started to go on Monday as well which has worked out well for him. communityconnectionsinc.org