Escaping a cult, going blind, & retiring my guide dog w/ Matthew and Paul

This episode is sponsored by: Unreal Snacks, Square, Good Wipes, and Cash App Unreal Snacks: Visit https://unrealsnacks.com/unplanned o get $4 off a bag of Unreal—terms and conditions apply. Square: Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at https://square.com/go/unplanned ! #squarepod Good Wipes: Head to https://goodwipes.com/UNPLANNED to learn how to snag a free pack of goodwipes! Cash App: Download Cash App at https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/kssum24w and use code FAMILY10 at signup to earn $10 when you send $5 to a friend within 14 days. Terms apply. Today on Unplanned, we sit down with Matthew and Paul — an interabled married couple loved by millions for their honest conversations around disability, identity, and life online. Paul opens up about being diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease that will eventually leave him completely blind, while Matthew shares his experience growing up in a strict religious cult and the journey that led him to finally leave. We also talk about internet trolls, misconceptions about blindness, their dream of becoming parents, retiring a guide dog, and how they’ve built a life centered around creativity, advocacy, and finding joy in the face of adversity. Matthew & Paul's IG: @matthewandpaul Paul's Children's Books IG: @paulcastlestudio Find Paul's books here: https://paulcastlestudio.com/ Find Matthew's music here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/31WEJvJ77B3sv45clvu889/discography/all Guide dog resource mentioned in this episode: https://www.guidedogs.com/ Follow The Unplanned Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/unplanned__podcast/ https://www.tiktok.com/@unplanned_podcast Listen to the pod on Spotify/ Apple Podcasts: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ToDA4ufQuWuEgMq07zN6t https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-unplanned-podcast/id1669604504 Follow Matt & Abby: Abby's Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/abbyelizabethoward/ Matt's Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/_matt_howard_/ TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@matt_and_abby Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/mattandabb YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@MattandAbby Chapters: 01:02 - Traveling with a guide dog 07:15 - Retinitis Pigmentosa 11:15 - How we met 15:09 - Breaking up 17:35 - Growing up in the IBLP 30:00 - Escaping the IBLP 33:30 - Dealing with the internet trolls 42:40 - Family planning 46:00 - Coping with grief 53:00 - Getting married 01:00:00 - Retiring our service dog 01:11:30 - Running a marathon as a blind person 01:13:00 - Applying for a new guide dog 01:20:00 - When my guide dog saved my life 01:30:00 - Authoring children's books Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices