A2A Spotlight

After a lifelong struggle with mental illness, Bill Bernat used his background in stand-up comedy to return to the stage with a new mission: to share his mental health journey and make people laugh at the same time. Now Bill uses storytelling and public workshops to normalize mental illness and teach others how to relate to loved ones who may be struggling.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell Spotlights Rex Butler, whose younger brother Bill died of an accidental overdose of medication prescribed for his chronic back pain. After being trained by the National Safety Council Advocacy Program, Rex began sharing his brother’s story to educate people and save lives.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell Spotlights Norma Loeb, whose mother Lillian suffered from Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) for 18 years and was misdiagnosed multiple times. Loeb is the founder of the Lewy Body Dementia Resource Center which provides support for people impacted by LBD.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell Spotlights Susan Munsey, who was trafficked by a much older boyfriend when she was fifteen. Munsey is the founder of the non-profit GenerateHope, which provides housing, medical care, therapy and education for victims of sex trafficking.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell spotlights Due Quach, founder of the non-profit The Collective Success Network. The organization supports first generation college students who experience culture shock. Prior to settling in Philadelphia, Due and her family lived in a refugee camp for two years after fleeing Vietnam. 

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell spotlights LeDerick Horne, who was diagnosed with a learning disability in the third grade. Today Horne is a disability advocate, poet, public speaker and author who challenges people with disabilities to live their dreams.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell spotlights Jesse Billauer, whose spinal cord was severed in a surfing accident when he was only 17-years-old. Jesse is the founder of the Life Rolls On Foundation which provides people with spinal cord injuries and other disabilities the opportunity to surf and skateboard.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell Spotlights Julie Lyles Carr who has two daughters with special needs. Julie is the founder of 2 Dance 2 Dream,  a non-profit that provides inclusive and meaningful dance, performance and art opportunities for children with special needs.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell Spotlights Angela Grojean who underwent a double mastectomy in 2018. During her recovery Angela received a hoodie with inside pockets that held her post surgery drain tubes securely and comfortably. Today Angela offers other mastectomy survivors free ‘Abundant Pocket Hoodies,’ to make their recovery easier and more comfortable.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell Spotlights Dr. Haidi Demain, the founder of Allergy Safe Kids (ASK): a non-profit that trains school nurses and teachers to recognize and treat severe food allergies. Dr. Demain started ASK shortly after her two-year-old daughter had a very severe reaction to salmon that required emergency room treatment.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell Spotlights Nicole Hughes, the founder of Water Guardians (Levi’s Legacy), a non-profit dedicated to preventing childhood drowning and teaching water safety. Nicole says she is turning her anger and grief into action.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell Spotlights Melanie Goldring, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes just before her 12th birthday. As a teen she volunteered at AYUDA (American Youth Understanding Diabetes Abroad) as a mentor in the Dominican Republic for three summers. Today, she is the organization’s Program Director. 

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell Spotlights Dr. Helen Egger, a co-founder of The Autoimmune Encephalitis Alliance. Dr. Egger’s son Sasha was first diagnosed with AE when he was 13. The rare and difficult to diagnose illness is often confused with schizophrenia but does not respond to the same treatment protocol.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell Spotlights Ruth White who was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder when she was 40. In addition to teaching at USC, Ruth is a speaker, blogger and the author of several books including “Bipolar 101.”

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell Spotlights Darius Baxter, co-founder of GOOD Projects, a community based nonprofit whose mission is to help youth and their families live free of poverty and violence. Baxter, whose father was murdered when he was nine years old, knows firsthand how difficult it can be for at-risk youth. 

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell Spotlights Ross Friedman, who lost his 27-year-old son Greg after his usage of the drug ecstasy. Ross Friedman and his family started the GPF Foundation in an effort to save lives by supporting education and treatment and creating a greater awareness of the dangers of recreational drug usage.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell spotlights Dr. Allison Litton, the founder of Meals OnCol. After three close friends were diagnosed with late stage cancer Litton developed a line of meals specifically designed to help alleviate the side effects of cancer treatment.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell spotlights Agnes McKeen, who lost her teenage son Harrison to suicide in 2015. Agnes founded Just Talk Suicide Prevention, a non-profit that promotes healing, hope and suicide prevention awareness.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell spotlights Zack Burton who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2017. In an effort to fight the stigma of mental illness, Zack and his girlfriend Elisa Hofmeister created "The Manic Monologues,” a powerful play of stories of mental illness similar to the “Vagina Monologues.”

Jeff Bell, KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and founder of the Adversity 2 Advocacy Alliance spotlights Wesley Hamilton, founder of the nonprofit Disabled But Not Really (DBNR). Having difficulty adjusting to life in a wheelchair, Wesley was inspired to be a better person by his daughter Nevaeh. Today Wesley wants to bring positivity and hope to the disabled community and beyond. 

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell spotlights DeAnna Pursai, the co-founder of The College of Adaptive Arts. Her younger sister Angel, who has Down Syndrome, helped DeAnna realize that special needs adults could thrive in a creative higher educational program geared to them.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell spotlights Justin Birckbichler, who at 26 battled metastasized testicular cancer.  Now in remission, Justin helps raise awareness of men's health issues and testicular cancer through his website and blog A Ballsy Sense of Tumor.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell spotlights Ella Casano who has received regular IV infusions since she was 7, when she was diagnosed with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura (ITP). The young entrepreneur is the founder of the non-profit Medi-Teddy, which donates cute Teddy Bear covers for IV bags to pediatric patients to help make their treatments less intimidating.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell spotlights Mara Wilson, who was diagnosed with OCD when she was 12 years old. Mara shares her story to help fight the stigma of mental illness and make a difference in the lives of others living with OCD.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell spotlights Nicholas Carlisle, the founder of the nonprofit No Bully. The No Bully program, which is in over 250 schools, teaches students to be more compassionate and kind.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell spotlights Asha Brown, a type 1 diabetic who at 14 began manipulating her insulin intake as a way to control her weight. After successfully being treated for her diabulimia she founded We Are Diabetes, a nonprofit devoted to supporting other type 1 diabetics who have an eating disorder.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell spotlights Kareemah Batts, disability and diversity advocate and paraclimbing pioneer. Batts is the founder of the non-profit Adaptive Climbing Group, which provides people with disabilities accessibility to the sport of climbing.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell spotlights Christy Silva, the founder of the non-profit Aidan’s Heart Foundation. The organization was created to honor her son Aidan who died of Sudden Cardiac Arrest, and to create heart-safe communities for youth so that other families don’t experience a similar tragedy.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A Alliance founder Jeff Bell spotlights Ryan Manion and her efforts to empower veterans and the families of fallen heroes.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell spotlights Jonathan Clark, a triathlete, veteran newsman, and mental health advocate who hid his struggles with OCD for almost 20 years. After deciding not to suffer in silence anymore, Clark went public with his story to help others battling mental illness.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell spotlights Eliza Factor author and founder of the non-profit Extreme Kids & Crew. Eliza was inspired to create the arts and play spaces by her son Felix who has multiple disabilities. 

KCBS Radio anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell spotlights Leo McCarthy, whose daughter Mariah was killed by an underage drunk driver when she was fourteen. McCarthy started the non-profit Mariah’s Challenge to reward students who pledge not to drink and drive with scholarships.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell spotlights Connie Siskowski, who founded The American Association of Caregiving Youth to support the over 1.3 million youth between 8 to 18-years-old who are the primary caregivers for chronically ill, elderly and disabled family members.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A Alliance founder Jeff Bell spotlights paralysis survivor Amanda Boxtel and her high-tech efforts to help the mobility-impaired.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder spotlights Candis Welch, a disability advocate and blogger. Candis was diagnosed with SMA, a rare neuromuscular genetic disorder when she was 18-months-old. She has been in a wheelchair since she was 11. Candis hopes to be a role model and inspire others with disabilities through her blog CanCan on Wheelz.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell spotlights Ilene Lainer, the co-founder and President of NEXT for Autism. Ilene’s son Ari was diagnosed with autism over twenty years ago when there were inadequate educational, social and recreational services available to them. Along with NEXT co-founder Laura Slatkin, she created innovative programs to meet the needs of children and their families living with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell spotlights Duncan Campbell, an extremely successful timber investment entrepreneur who grew up in poverty and was neglected by his alcoholic parents. Campbell is the founder of the non-profit Friends of the Children, which provides vulnerable children with a professional mentor from kindergarten until they graduate from high school.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell spotlights Alex Bernadotte, who immigrated to the US from Haiti when she was 8 years old. Alex, who holds a degree from both Dartmouth and Stanford, found that there were many young people like herself who make it to college but have difficulties succeeding and overcoming difficult challenges. Through her non-profit Beyond 12, Alex gives these students the tools to help them achieve their goals.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell spotlights David Begnaud, who was diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome when he was 6 years old. David says that he used the pain of his debilitating Tourette’s as motivation to power through to achieve his dream. He is now sharing his story to create a greater awareness and understanding of Tourette’s Syndrome.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A Alliance founder Jeff Bell spotlights mathematician Deanna Needell and her work to help researchers better understand Lyme disease.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell spotlights Theresa Flores, a human trafficking survivor, author and activist. She is the founder of Project S.O.A.P.,a non-profit that partners with local organizations to distribute bars of soap wrapped with a red band that provides the National Human Trafficking Hotline number (1-888-373-7888) and other important information to help victims of trafficking.

KCBS Radio afternoon anchor and A2A founder Jeff Bell spotlights Dior Vargas, who describes herself as a Latina feminist mental health activist. Vargas lives with depression and anxiety, and created the People of Color and Mental Illness Photo Project as a response to what she describes as ”the invisibility of people of color in the media representation of mental illness.” Her mental health activism also includes crisis counseling, leading support groups, hosting workshops and keynote speaking across the country.