Adrianna is primarily responsible for providing direct clinical services through psychosocial support to children, adolescents and teens in bilingual or Spanish-speaking families who have a seriously ill parent.

Adrianna holds Bachelor’s degrees in Religious Studies and Human Development, and Family Studies with an emphasis in Early Childhood Development from the University of Texas at Austin. She is a certified child life specialist (CCLS) and has more than 12 years of experience supporting children affected by serious illness or injury. Adrianna has two children and they love being outdoors.

Aleida has 12 years of experience as a certified child life specialist (CCLS), currently working at Children’s Hospital of San Antonio. Aleida has a Bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Houston. She will be serving our Spanish-Speaking families in San Antonio by doing intakes and parent consultations as needed.

In addition to Aleida’s child life specialist certification, she is a Certified Passenger Safety Technician, and a Child Life Volunteer Coordinator. Aleida and her fiancé, Ernest, are big Star Wars fans and enjoy going to the movies.

Alex Gabbi is a devoted father to his three wonderful kids, Nico, Maya and Luca. After his wife died of cancer, he gave up a successful career in business to focus on making a difference for others in the community in as many ways as possible. This included teaching at the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin and supporting Wonders & Worries. His career encompasses more than 25 years of experience in senior leadership positions with small and Fortune 500 companies in the high-tech, consulting, international business and software arenas. Alex is an avid traveler and enjoys games of strategy. He intends for his children to visit 40 countries and 40 states before they graduate high school. Read more about his story.

Amy joins the Wonders & Worries Houston team with six years of experience as a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS). She received her bachelor’s degree in Child Development with minors in Psychology and Sign Language from Texas Christian University. She previously worked in the Emergency Department at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center for four years, then worked in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Texas Children’s Hospital for two years. Amy grew a passion for helping children and families during high intense moments and hopes to continue to develop her skills with the Wonders & Worries team.

Amy met her husband while working in the Emergency Department in Cincinnati and convinced him to move down to Texas to be closer to her family. They just recently welcomed their newborn daughter to join the craziness of her two (very large) dog siblings.

Ashley joins the Wonders & Worries Austin team with over five years of experience as a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS). Ashley received her bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from The University of Texas at San Antonio and her Masters of Science with a major in Family and Child Studies from Texas State University. She has previously worked at The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio in the Emergency Department.

Ashley is married to her high school sweetheart and has a four year old son. In her off time she enjoys traveling with her husband and son, especially when it involves going to Disney World. She also enjoys cooking, trying new restaurants around Austin and taking her son and dog to the park.

After graduating with a BA in accounting, Beth worked in accounting for a number of years. When she became a full-time mom, she continued doing bookkeeping for her husband’s business. During the 12 years of raising two daughters, Beth had the opportunity to volunteer for many different organizations and became passionate about nonprofit work. For her second career, Beth managed the Texas Retired Teachers Foundation, gaining experience in fundraising and donor relationship management while overseeing the foundation’s four charitable programs. She continues serving on the Board of Directors of Art From the Streets. Beth’s hidden talent is that she knows how to milk a cow.

Christina “Chris” Castro joined Wonders & Worries as a bilingual certified child life specialist (CCLS) with over 15 years of experience working with diverse communities providing varied types of psychosocial support and with more than 8 years of experience working in hospital settings providing medical education, coping support, and procedural coaching to patients and families. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Cedar Crest College and began her career working in a children’s hospital in NJ. For the majority of her child life career, Chris has worked to expand her skill set while working with children and teens in the oncology clinic of one of the top children’s hospital’s in the world.

Chris credits her keen ability to connect and understand people to her many years of service at her home church where she served as a bilingual teacher and mentor for preschoolers all the way up to young adults. She has also served on her church’s praise & worship team since she was 11 yrs old by singing, playing the piano and the tambourine. She loves to read, watch k-dramas, do DIY haircuts, and bake when she’s feeling inspired. Chris is also known for her ability to compose music and create abstract paintings. She thoroughly enjoys learning about different cultures and learning from people’s stories. Chris has been called a deep thinker and a great listener by those who know and work with her.

Cindy joins Wonders & Worries with more than 28 years of experience, having served in numerous hospitals supporting the psychosocial needs of pediatric patients and their families. She is bilingual in English and Spanish and a passionate champion for Spanish-speaking communities. Cindy has her bachelor of science in Early Childhood and Family Relationships, and a Master of education in Special Education, both from the University of Texas. She is a certified child life specialist (CCLS) and recently started teaching an Introduction to Child Life course at UT.

Cindy volunteers with Operation Smile on international medical missions and serves on the Standish Foundation advisory board. Cindy has been married 25 years and enjoys spending time on the lake and running.

Danielle is a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) and joins the Wonders & Worries Houston team with over 6 years of experience supporting children and families at Texas Children’s Hospital in the Outpatient Hematology Oncology Clinic. During her time at Texas Children’s Hospital she developed a passion for the sickle cell population and became an advocate for providing community awareness and education. Danielle holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Texas A&M University and a Master of Science in Human Development and Family Studies from Texas State University.

Danielle and her husband have two beautiful children. Their oldest daughter was adopted at birth and their younger son was born a mere eight months later. They can often be found at the park and riding bikes outside.

Deanna Frymire joins Wonders & Worries with over 5 years of experience as a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS). Prior to joining us at Wonders & Worries, Deanna provided therapeutic support and activities for patients and families in the Neuro-Oncology department at the Children’s Blood and Cancer Center (CBCC) and coordinated therapeutic activities and events for the CBCC teen support group, the Hungry Bunch. She is eager and excited to provide therapeutic services to children and their families at Wonders & Worries and help them grow together while fighting illness.

In her very little spare time, outside of running an in-home daycare, Deanna enjoys the outdoors with her crazy, energetic four children and adventurous, loving husband. Their weekends consist of spending time with family and friends, riding bikes, hanging out at the farm, going to church, attending extracurriculars, and taking last minute spontaneous road trips (always open to road trip suggestions😊)!

Deanna Smith has more than 16 years of experience as a certified child life specialist (CCLS) in the hospital setting. She graduated from Lubbock Christian University with a degree in Child Development & Family Studies. Deanna completed her internship at Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas and started professionally at Children’s Medical Center Dallas. Most recently she worked at Children’s Hospital of San Antonio.

Deanna also teaches yoga. With spare time, she enjoys relaxing with her husband and two little girls – whether it’s a tea party at the house or vacationing at the beach. And when the girls aren’t watching, her favorite indulgence is anything chocolate!

Denee joins Wonders and Worries with 16 years of hospital child life experience.  She worked at Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth & Methodist Children’s Hospital in San Antonio for the majority of those years.  There she fell in love with and worked with HEM/ONC & BMT Pediatric patients.  One of her favorite things about working with this population, was helping the patients feel comfortable in their new everyday “normal” activities outside of the hospital.  She is passionate about making children feel joy in the midst of hardships, even if its just a small smile.  She has a BA in Child Psychology, from UTSA.

Denee is married and has two children; a daughter who loves to cook and swim, and a son who loves reptiles & making others laugh.  In her off time she enjoys reading, listening to music, and working on any craft she can get her hands on.  Her idea of a perfect night would be playing board games with her family & eating take out!

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Francine has 7 years of experience as a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS), currently working at Children’s Hospital of San Antonio. Francine began her Child Life career as a child life assistant in 2006, has Bachelor’s degree in Education and is currently pursuing a master of science degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of San Antonio.

Francine is from San Antonio, TX and on her spare time she enjoys reading, cooking, and re-watching the office. She is a homebody at heart, but also enjoys a good hike, game nights and her goal is to try every pizza joint in San Antonio.

Jacquelyn is a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) and has over 15 years of experience providing psychosocial support to bereaved children and families as well as children who have an adult in their life with a serious medical condition. Prior to coming to Wonders & Worries, Jacquelyn directed the children’s bereavement program at the Christi Center, providing therapeutic support groups, activities, and events for children and teens and parental support to parents in grief. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from St. Edward’s University and a Master’s degree in Family and Child Development from Texas State University.

Jacquelyn is honored to come alongside Wonders & Worries families during their illness journey and learns as much from the beautiful families served as they do from her….that together we can do hard things and overcome. She is also honored to hold the title of Total Boy Mom and can either be found adventuring through Austin and beyond with the boys or snuggling in at home in a giant fort surrounded by every stuffed animal that was rescued from the Goodwill pile!

Jasmine moved to San Antonio to pursue higher education at St. Mary’s University. Jasmine is fluent in English and Spanish. Whenever she is not traveling or on an outdoor adventure, you can find her snuggled up with her baby and two labradoodles reading or completing a puzzle.

As a dedicated mother and wife, children hold a special place in her heart. She is passionate for engaging community partners, building trusted relationships, facilitating impactful gifts, and is a firm believer in the power of candor and kindness.

Jordan joins Wonders & Worries with over 6 years of experience as a Certified Child Life Specialist, supporting patients and families in the healthcare setting. She graduated from the University of Michigan—Ann Arbor, where she earned a bachelor’s degree, studying Art & Design and Psychology. Most recently, Jordan worked at Dell Children’s Medical Center with the trauma and surgical population. She is excited to join the outreach team at Wonders & Worries, utilizing her passion and experience in child life to raise awareness, and help build the community, of Wonders & Worries. Outside of work, Jordan dances and teaches fitness classes, including Barre and Yoga. She also enjoys spending time outdoors, especially around water!

Julie joined the Wonders & Worries team with more than 15 years of clinical experience supporting children and their families as they navigate the medical journey. She treasures her many years as a child life specialist at Baylor’s Our Children’s House in Dallas, Texas, serving families in need of medicine and rehabilitation services. For the past seven years, Julie served in a senior leadership role on the child life team at Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas. She holds a bachelor of science in Human Development and Family Sciences from the University of Texas at Austin.

Julie is also known as “Mom!” to four crazy kiddos of her own. She and her husband enjoy camping and exploring the awesome hill country with their children and silly golden retriever. Julie has a knack for repurposing old furniture, which led to the creation of her own furniture design company, Firefly Skies. Climber of trees and often covered in paint, Julie is always up for an adventure.

Kim has been a child life specialist for more than 30 years. She started her career at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, and worked with seriously ill children and their families for nine years. Kim moved to Austin and joined the Wonders & Worries team in 2002. Kim now serves as national program director, a role that provides her the privilege of overseeing our national Helpline 844-WE-WONDER, supporting our growing network of Registered Wonders & Worries Providers (RWWP’s), facilitating parenting classes, and promoting Wonders & Worries many resources. Kim holds a bachelor’s degree in Family Relations and Child Development and Masters’ degrees in both Human Development and Family Studies and Counseling – with a play therapy emphasis.

Kim is married to her high school sweetheart, who proposed underwater while they were scuba diving. They have a young adult daughter, young adult son and an Australian Shepherd. Kim is adventurous and loves the outdoors. She is a certified scuba diver, avid hiker, snow skier, water skier and has jumped out of a plane. She also enjoys watching college football and relaxing with a good book.

Kira March has been a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) since 2014.  She started her career as a CCLS supporting patients and families at Texas Children’s Hospital on an inpatient general pediatrics unit after completing an internship at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She joyously joined the Wonders and Worries team in 2022 where she is able to purse her passion for play and empowering children.  Kira graduated from The University of Texas with a Bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Sciences, focusing on child development. Kira is an avid reader, always outside, and never turns down a good meal.  When not at work, she can be found barefoot in the sunshine with her two children and husband.

With a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations, Lara Strickland joined Children’s Medical Center of Dallas as the Outreach Coordinator in pediatric oncology before entering the specialty field of child life. She received her Master’s in Human Development and Family Studies in 1997 at the University of North Texas and became certified as a child life specialist (CCLS) in 2002. Lara served as a child life specialist in hematology/oncology and worked with children coping with cancer and sickle cell anemia – as well as their siblings.

Lara joined the staff at Wonders & Worries part-time in 2005. She provides individual support in the playroom and school environments for children coping with illness in the family. She has facilitated weekly teen groups and parenting classes. She is married and has three children.

Leslie comes to us from the American Red Cross where she managed special events for five years. Prior to that she was a stay at home mom for 12 years. During that time, she held almost every PTA position, and volunteered with multiple organizations. That time spent helping others solidified her love of philanthro pies and desire to work for a non-profit.

She is married to her college sweetheart and has two children. Leslie graduated from the University of Houston and is very active in the Cougar Austin Alumni Group. She spends her  f ree time volunteering as football team mom for her son and burning up the road between Austin and College Station traveling to visit her daughter. If you can’t find her doing any of those things, she will probably be by the pool reading a book or visiting her favorite winery in Fredericksburg.

Lori Novitski joins Wonders & Worries with over 15 years experience as a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) and as a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS).  She graduated from Texas State University in 2003 with a bachelor of science degree in Recreation Administration with a Therapeutic Emphasis.   Lori has dedicated the past 15 years to The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio.

Lori and her husband have young, beautiful twin daughters who keep them extremely busy.  Lori and her family value family time and love to travel.  Their favorite destination is Disney World!  Lori and her husband have been known to be rollercoaster enthusiasts.

Maria Patiño graduated from The University of Texas at Austin in 2013 with a degree in Human Development and Family Sciences. She completed her child life practicum with Wonders & Worries, and is applying for her child life internship, the next step to becoming a certified child life specialist (CCLS). Maria volunteers with Dell Children’s Medical Center, the Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas and El Buen Samaritano. Maria is fluent in English and Spanish, and her superpower is creating delicious vegan baked goods.

Melissa has been a child life specialist for over 30 years with her primary area of clinical expertise in the oncology arena. Prior to co-founding Wonders & Worries, she worked at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore, Maryland and the AFLAC Cancer Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. In addition to hospital-based practice, Melissa has also worked in private practice/consulting as well as being a psychosocial program director for Camp Sunshine in Atlanta, GA and a school counselor.  Melissa has also served on several non-profit Board of Directors. In addition to chairing many committees and a task force, Melissa has been the President of the Association for Child Life Professionals (ACLP), a Director on the ACLP Board, and the Child Life Certification Chairperson.   She was honored to receive the Child Life Council Distinguished Service Award in 2010.

Melissa earned a BS in Individual and Family Studies from the University of Delaware and a MS in Counseling from Georgia State University. She was awarded the Presidential Citation for Outstanding Achievement (2001) and the Outstanding Alumni Award for the College of Human Services, Education and Public Policy (2002) at the University of Delaware.

She has published in journals and textbooks on the topics of children impacted by cancer, coping with chronic illness in children and child life practice in alternate settings. Melissa has presented on these topics at the university level, professional conferences, to medical staff and to parents.

Melissa is a certified child life specialist, a licensed clinical mental health counselor and a registered play therapist & supervisor. She lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with her husband and teenage daughter. In her free time, she enjoys watching her daughter ride horses and spending time on Cape Cod.

Meredith Cooper is the co-Founder of Wonders & Worries, a nonprofit that provides professional support for children and teenagers throughout a parent’s illness. Following 15 years of success, Meredith shifted from executive director to a founder role in 2017, where she continues providing strategic direction for Wonders & Worries’ national growth.

Meredith has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Child Development. She is a certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) and a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who has been involved with children’s healthcare in the Austin community for more than 25 years, including being the first pediatric oncology child life specialist for Austin. Meredith received the Helping Hand Home’s Champion for Children Award in 2010, and the Girl Scout Woman of Distinction Award in 2013. Meredith is married with one son, two daughters and a growing number of grandchildren.

Michele Martin has over 20 years of experience providing emotional and developmental support for children and families in health care environments. Michele has worked as a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) for the Children’s Medical Center of Dallas; as a mental health consultant for Head Start; and as a middle-school science teacher at Bishop Garriga Middle Preparatory School. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master of Science degree in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of North Texas. She also has her teacher’s certification for the 4th – 8th grades. Her husband and four children are her pride and joy.

Nayeli joins the San Antonio Wonders & Worries team as a bilingual child life specialist with 20+ years experience in the field. Nayeli received her Bachelor’s Degree in English and Master’s degree in Education. She has worked at Children’s Hospital of San Antonio, Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children in Honolulu, and currently works at Methodist Children’s Hospital.

Nayeli likes to unwind by staying in to read, watch movies and anime, play video games, listen to music, and cuddle with her dog Mei Mei and her cat Lilo.

Nicole Halder is passionate about helping organizations create outstanding services for children in challenging environments. Nicole’s focus is developing partnerships to help Wonders & Worries expand. After completing her Bachelor of Science in Finance and International Operations from Georgetown University, she earned her Master’s in Elementary Education from Columbia University.  Nicole has extensive experience in teaching, and her work in teacher and curriculum development effected major advances in educational outcomes at schools in New York City and Central Texas.

She previously served as President of the Board of Directors of Wonders & Worries and is a former board member of the Lake Travis Education Foundation. Her professional and board work consistently demonstrate outstanding leadership skills and successful outcomes. She enjoys cooking, “playing” in her garden, traveling and raising her three elementary school-age children with her husband.

As a former client of Wonders & Worries, Suzi is passionate about its mission.  Having battled breast cancer in 2014, Suzi found that her daughters’ experiences attending Wonders & Worries group sessions were a silver lining in the cancer battle.  She is excited to join the W&W team as the Donor Relations Manager and help further its mission of making sure no family struggles alone with parental illness.

Suzi comes to us after spending many years working in education.  She was the Director of Good News Preschool, and taught in the Pflugerville, Round Rock, and Leander school districts in grades Pre-K-5^th. Suzi received a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities, as well as a Master of Arts in Teaching from Trinity University. She continues to privately tutor ESL students, and she finds great joy in working with young learners.

Suzi and her college sweetheart Brian have two beautiful daughters, one in high school and one who has just started college.  Suzi enjoys traveling with her family, snowshoeing in the mountains of Colorado, exercising, volunteering at her daughter’s school, playing with her two adorable dogs and getting creative in her craft room.

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Whitney joins Wonders & Worries with 5 years of hospital experience from Children’s Health: Children’s Medical Center Dallas, where she worked with families on the inpatient oncology unit. She is a graduate of Baylor University with a Bachelor’s degree in Child and Family Studies and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Education from Texas Women’s University. A native Austinite, Whitney is honored to expand the mission of Wonders & Worries into Houston- the city she has made home with her husband and two young children. In her free time, you can find Whitney searching for antiques, beautifying her yard, walking her spaniel Rosie or chasing her kids around!