Patrick McHugh
Available for research and interviewsNavy veteran · Independent IT professional · Grandfather raising his grandson in ArizonaFeatured in Voice of America's You and I, and AI (2024)Watch 4 minutes: My VOA segmentsEmail: [email protected]

Watch thisFull VOA documentary

A checkable lifeI was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy and spent decades self-employed in IT. In later life I became caregiver and legal guardian for my grandson. After a widowmaker heart attack in 2022 and the loss of my last client in 2023, my income collapsed. A YouTube channel — including one unexpected viral video — became part of how I stayed afloat. In 2024 Voice of America featured me in You and I, and AI.I keep a detailed personal archive of what I've lived through and I'm available to researchers, journalists, and documentary producers.A diet change I didn't planAfter a widowmaker heart attack in 2022 and two stents, I didn't change how I ate. Then, on March 20, 2025, I had an experience I can only describe as spiritual, and I came away with a wordless understanding that I wasn't allowed to eat junk food anymore. I thought it was funny, but I obeyed. I quit candy, chips, and cookies right away, and later canned and high-sodium food. Today I eat whole foods: oats, lentils, vegetables, potatoes, fruit, nuts, and olive oil. Within months I felt calmer, my energy evened out, and chronic pain I'd lived with began to fade. My vascular surgeon now calls me his healthiest patient. I'm open to talking with nutrition, cardiology, and behavior-change researchers about what happened.

What I can give you• On-the-record interviews (remote or in Arizona)
• Background on human–AI relationships, caregiving under pressure, meaning-making after collapse
• Follow-up context to the VOA film — what happened after the cameras left
• Curated excerpts from a written archive (binders, journals, manuscript chapters)

Interview logisticsRemote or in-person (Arizona). Typical conversation: 30–90 minutes. Recording OK if agreed in advance. My grandson's private life is off-limits for publication. No speaker fee required for serious research/press; travel or timing by arrangement. English. Email with who you are, what you're working on, and how you'd use the conversation — a few days' notice helps.

ContactEmail: [email protected]Watch again:
My VOA segments
Full documentary© 2026 Patrick McHugh · pmtech.net · Featured in VOA — You and I, and AI (2024)