Introducing Our Newest Specialists!
Our team is growing! We've excited to be part of a new project, CareShare for Kids: Better Screening, Evaluation and Coordination in Indiana. Our specialists will be supporting families who get a new diagnosis of developmental delay and/or autism. We're all family
Melody Holmes is our specialist for the South Bend/St. Joseph County area. Melody and
her husband are the parents to Stephen, 18, and Natalie, 13. Stephen had hearing
loss and other unique idiosyncrasies early in his life but overcame many of
them through First Steps intervention and theatre. Natalie has
experienced multiple medical challenges from infancy, many of which were not
diagnosed until she was five years old and some as late as February
2015. Natalie’s primary health challenges include neuromuscular disease
with mitochondrial dysfunction, Chiari malformation 1.5, connective tissue disorder
and high intracranial pressure. Natalie courageously faces
every challenge and sets an example of how to adapt to life to reach her goals.
Melody has worked in the
not-for-profit sector for 15 years.
She has largely focused on child abuse/neglect prevention, parent
education and child development. She also volunteers as a child
advocate and support group leader. Melody loves to support families by
connecting them with local, state and national resources. Additionally, she hopes
to encourage families to develop a strong and consistent medical home as well
as practice clear, gentle, and effective communication as they navigate through
the medical and special needs maze.
Emily McKinley is our Electronic
Communication Specialist. She previously served as a Health Information Specialist for
Family Voices. Emily and her husband have three beautiful sons, who are
preschool and elementary age. One of her sons received services through First
Steps and from other providers. His hard work and early intervention have put
him on the road to success! Emily and her family are tremendously grateful for
the compassionate, caring providers who they have encountered on their journey
and wish to bring comfort and resources to others.
Emily’s interests include assisting families who are beginning
their journey after receiving a special needs diagnosis, health care reform,
maintaining special diets on a budget, sensory processing, and assisting
military families.
Emily has
enjoyed an interesting and varied professional career, which has included
experiences as a medical writer, volunteer program manager, and freelance
writer and editor. Emily has been a lifelong volunteer and is proud to have
advocated on behalf of many individuals and for many organizations, including
Easter Seals, military spouses and families, children in foster care, Toys for
Tots, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, animal shelters, and others.
Being a mother of two healthy and
happy boys gave her the most satisfying experience in life, but what she did not
know was that life was preparing her to raise a little girl with special health
care needs. The situation was challenging for her and her family as this new
world unfolded for them.
During this process, Aura learned how
to successfully manage the many challenges that one encounters when raising a
child with special needs. She also learned that there were support groups to
help her manage and solve problems as well as strengthen her ability to
advocate for her daughter. Finding her path was very confusing and painful. However,
Aura considers herself lucky to find people and organizations like Family
Voices Indiana. They helped her become more confident and positive. She is excited
to have the opportunity to be a helping hand to other families who are facing
difficult times. She will use the knowledge and skills she has in order to
educate and teach others how they can be the best advocate for their own
child.
Kaitlin Thompson is one of our specialists for Evansville/Vanderburgh County. Since she was a child, Kaitlin has been advocating for
Hoosiers with disabilities and special health care needs, including speaking in
front of local elected officials and state legislators. She has volunteered
with young children and families facing crisis situations and has provided
input to health care facilities and service providers to improve the quality of
care for pediatric patients and their loved ones. She and her two adult
siblings have special health care needs, giving her a unique perspective on the
issues families seeking assistance from Family Voices Indiana face.
In addition to her personal experience, she holds a
Bachelor of Science in Psychology, a Professional Certificate in Patient
Advocacy, and is currently enrolled in a Master of Science in Developmental
Disabilities program.
Kaitlin is thrilled to be a part of the Family Voices
Indiana team. She is excited to bring her passion for helping families navigate
the sometimes challenging and ever-changing systems of health care and
disability support services to the team. She believes every family has a unique
culture and set of strengths they bring to raising their families and
interacting with professionals.
Stacey Webb is our specialist for the
Jeffersonville/Clark County area. She is the mother of three children, Thomas,
Lucas and Presley. Both Thomas and Lucas were born with a rare genetic
disorder, Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD).
Stacey currently works as an LPN in the pediatric home
health setting as well as in the pediatric long -term care setting.
Stacey believes that with shared knowledge, guidance,
respect and support we can produce improved and enriched outcomes and
opportunities for children with special needs. She is looking forward to connecting
families to resources while also providing support and advocacy.
Erica Walker is one of our specialists
for Fort Wayne/Allen County. She has
two children, aged three and five. Mallory was born with a rare brain
malformation called Hemimegalencephaly that resulted in catastrophic epilepsy.
Carter has multiple diagnoses including ADHD and speech delay. After learning
how to navigate the many programs and services available, she began
volunteering as a champion for About Special Kids. She is also a Service
Coordinator for First Steps. She absolutely loves working side by side with
families to assist and encourage them on their special health care needs journey.
She is eager to work with Family Voices and expand her knowledge base to others
in the community. With her personal and professional experience she hopes to
empower others to advocate for their special needs family member. It truly does
take a village to raise a child!
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