Courtney & Sam Davis

Welcome to the very first episode of Synaptic Sarahs, a podcast about neurodivergence and the families, clinicians, and communities who navigate it together. We couldn't imagine a better way to begin than with Sam Davis and his mom, Courtney.  Dr. Sarah Richie first met Sam over 15 years ago in her Memphis office, before his 3rd birthday. He is an amazing 18-year-old with Autism whose passion for life is inspirational and contagious. In the years since their first meeting, Courtney has become a dear friend—and Sam has grown into a young man who continually surpasses everyone's expectations and dreams for him. In this deeply honest conversation, Courtney opens up about the wins, the losses, and everything in between: the early overwhelm of a new diagnosis, learning to let family and friends into the journey instead of hiding behind closed doors, and giving yourself permission to grieve at every stage without staying stuck there. She shares the wisdom that carried the Davis family through, that nothing is ever wasted, that every day is a new day, and that progress moves in peaks and plateaus rather than a straight line. We also hear about Sam's siblings Courtney calls "actual superheroes," the therapists and mentors who became family, and the community that kept them all afloat. In the second half, Sam joins to share his personal perspective of his world through the photos he's chosen (or "invitations" as he excitedly refers to them): his amazing and ever-present service dog Chuck, his JROTC crew at Franklin High School, his love of Dolly - the school's therapy dog, time at his therapist's office ("Nose to Nose" as he calls therapy), a dental cleaning successfully done without sedation, the achieved goal of getting a haircut without fear or tears, fun times at the lake, service projects in Africa, volunteering at the WCAC's cat program "Pawsabilities," his time with Dr. Sarah's pup Piper, and more. Check out the photos Sam describes here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1n3S3WgFbbg6z75DkzZz8uwRCXjG10UiG?usp=sharing If you're a parent hearing a diagnosis for the first time, or one who's been walking this road for years, this episode is for you. You are understood. You are not alone. And as Courtney puts it: it may not look the way you thought it would...it's even better.