January 2026, our lives were hit by a punch we never saw coming.

The house was never meant to be this quiet. With four children—aged 20, 18, 14, and 11—and a twenty-year marriage, the walls should be vibrating with life. Instead, there is a heavy, pressurized silence that follows me from room to room.

​It’s the sound of a family missing its heartbeat.

​The Day the World Changed

​In January 2026, our lives were hit by a punch we never saw coming. Kirsty was diagnosed with PNFA (Progressive Non-fluent Aphasia) and FTD (Frontotemporal Degeneration).

​These aren't just medical terms; they are the names of the shadows that have slowly taken Kirsty away from us. It’s a cruel, slow-motion disappearing act. Kirsty is right there—I can reach out and touch her hand—but the woman who was my partner, my sounding board, and the fierce protector of our family is being pulled further out to sea every single day.

​The Weight of the "Only"

​As men, we’re taught to be the anchor. We’re the providers, the fixers, the rocks. But nobody tells you what happens when the rock starts to crumble.

​Suddenly, I am the "only." The only one making the daily decisions. The only one managing the schedules, the meals, and the emotional fallout. Kirsty was the one who kept the engine of this family humming; now, I’m trying to fly the plane solo while the engines are failing.

​The hardest part is looking at the kids. From the oldest at 20 to the youngest at 11, they still need their mother. They need her advice, her comfort, and that specific mother’s intuition that used to settle every storm. Seeing them turn to me for the guidance only she could provide is a weight that’s hard to describe.

​"What We Can Handle"

​I’ve heard it so many times lately: “God doesn’t give us anything we can’t handle.”

​But sitting in the quiet at 2:00 AM, I find myself asking: Why? Why do we have to handle things that are so incredibly cruel? Why does a mother have to be taken from her children while she’s still sitting right in front of them? Dealing with the "mental health demons" that come with this isn't a choice; it’s a daily war.

​I’m sharing my personal story not for sympathy, but because I know I’m not the only one wrestling with these questions and this pain.

​Why Every Man Needs Pure Bloke

​This is why I am so driven to make Pure Bloke a part of everyone’s life. We spend so much time preparing for the punches we can see, but it’s the ones that strike your family, your health, or your mind that leave the deepest scars.

​By sharing this, I want to raise awareness for two things that often stay in the dark: Men’s Mental Health and the devastating reality of PNFA FTD.

​Pure Bloke is about creating a brotherhood where we don’t have to wait until we’re broken to start talking. I want this to be a movement where helping each other is the standard. We need a community that stands ready to catch a mate when life throws a blindside hit that no one could have prepared for.

​We Are In This Together

​No matter what you are facing—whether it’s a diagnosis, a loss, or a battle in your own mind—please know that you are not alone. I want to help, and I want us to help each other.

​We are in this together. No matter what.

​Life has thrown its worst at me, but I’m still standing because I’ve realized we weren't meant to conquer these invisible battles in isolation. Let’s make Pure Bloke the place where we help each other conquer the punches life throws our way—seen and unseen.

​Jason Feliciotto

Founder, Pure Bloke