Service to others has always been a big part of my life. I have volunteered in different capacities throughout my life and chose a career in healthcare as part of that calling. Volunteering to be part of The Childhood League and supporting The Childhood League Center bridges my passion of service with another extremely important cause for me-supporting children with unique abilities.

I am the mother to three beautiful children. Two of whom have special needs resulting from rare diseases. Navigating the world of disabilities, high medical needs, help me grow, individual family service plans, individualized education plans, therapy services, etc, etc, can be extremely daunting. Parenting, while one of the most rewarding things in the world, can also be a huge challenge. Parenting special needs children takes this challenge to a whole new level.

We all want to see our children reach their full potential and the work needs to start right away with developmentally delayed children. Over the last few years I’ve realized it truly takes a team and a lot of support to help transform the lives of these children. Early intervention is critical.

Our family is fortunate enough to have a strong village and several extended members with medical backgrounds. With our resources we have been able to research and put a strong team together for our children. This has not come easily and I realize how lucky we are to have family nearby, work flexibility, and a base of knowledge to work off of.

Five plus years into the special needs world and I am still learning new important things every week. I am passionate about giving my time and resources to places who support children and families going through similar challenges. I learned about the Childhood League through a family friend after our first child was already in preschool. I did a tour of the center and attended a league meeting and knew this was a cause I wanted to be involved with.

One of the pillars of The Childhood League Center is transforming challenging starts into unstoppable futures. This resonated so strongly with me. I have been fortunate enough to volunteer inside the league and see how amazing the staff is. The facility is top notch and the center works so hard to support the entire family and not just their students.

Walking into a place like The Childhood League Center as a parent of special needs children warms my entire heart. Knowing places like this exist in the world gives me so much peace of mind. I consider myself lucky to be a small part of such an amazing organization. They are committed to early intervention with a high level of success that is transforming lives.

This is my 3rd year being a Childhood League member and my first year serving on The League Operating Committee. After serving as a member for a few years I felt ready to take on a bigger role this year and am Co-Chair for The Silent Auction Committee for Battle Columbus. The league is working hard to make this event a fun night out you can feel good about. Live music, fun, and helping the kids of the Childhood League…it’s a no brainer!